Podcast appearances and mentions of gita jackson

We're off this week because of Juneteenth, but back in February, Nathan released a book! About Twitch! As part of that, he hosted a launch event at Wonderville in Brooklyn, NY with a panel featuring Chris and Gita, as well Polygon's Simone de Rochefort. It was basically a live episode of Aftermafh Hours, so here it is now, as an episode of Aftermath Hours. Enjoy!Credits- Hosts: Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, Gita Jackson, & special guest Simone de Rochefort- Podcast Production & Ads: Multitude- Subscribe to Aftermath!About The ShowAftermath Hours is the flagship podcast of Aftermath, a worker-owned, subscription-based website covering video games, the internet, and everything that comes after from journalists who previously worked at Kotaku, Vice, and The Washington Post. Each week, games journalism veterans Luke Plunkett, Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, Riley MacLeod, and Gita Jackson – though not always all at once, because that's too many people for a podcast – break down video game news, Remember Some Games, and learn about Chris' frankly incredible number of special interests. Sometimes we even bring on guests from both inside and outside the video game industry! I don't know what else to tell you; it's a great time. Simply by reading this description, you're already wasting time that you could be spending listening to the show. Head to aftermath.site for more info. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week's episode, Nathan, Chris, and Riley reflect on the latest installment of Geoff Keighley's mid-year video game advertisement carnival, Summer Game Fest. It was a weird one! High-profile announcements were few and far between, leaving relative no-names shaped kinda like the industry's heaviest hitters to fill in the gaps. But at least Stranger Than Heaven, which is basically noir Yakuza in the 1940s, looks cool. Then Nathan talks about what it was like to actually attend SGF's in-person Play Days event, which took place roughly a mile from the locus of LA's anti-ICE protests. Game developers and press struggled with mixed feelings over the unavoidable tension between the perceived frivolity of advertising video games within the event's walls and the enormity of the protests raging outside. After that, we move on to perhaps the week's most telling story: what happened to Dragon Age: The Veilguard. A new Bloomberg report details trend-chasing, reactive mismanagement nearly every step of the way. At what point do we determine that these execs are simply not fit to lead? Lastly, we figure out where we fall on the Aftermath community's incredible Many Emotions Of Geoff Keighley chart.Credits- Hosts: Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, & Riley MacLeod- Podcast Production & Ads: Multitude- Subscribe to Aftermath!About The ShowAftermath Hours is the flagship podcast of Aftermath, a worker-owned, subscription-based website covering video games, the internet, and everything that comes after from journalists who previously worked at Kotaku, Vice, and The Washington Post. Each week, games journalism veterans Luke Plunkett, Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, Riley MacLeod, and Gita Jackson – though not always all at once, because that's too many people for a podcast – break down video game news, Remember Some Games, and learn about Chris' frankly incredible number of special interests. Sometimes we even bring on guests from both inside and outside the video game industry! I don't know what else to tell you; it's a great time. Simply by reading this description, you're already wasting time that you could be spending listening to the show. Head to aftermath.site for more info. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week's episode, we are joined by Xalavier Nelson Jr. of Strange Scaffold to talk about the Switch 2 (because neither of us bought one at launch.) We discuss the satisfying click of the magnetic controllers, the strange emptiness of Mario Kart World, and the idea of trying to return to a yesteryear that can never be recaptured.Then, we discuss the State of Play, Luke's piece about vibes, Sony's entry into fight stick hardware as it relates to Arc System Works making a Marvel game. Last, we talk about what games we're playing lately. Chris talks about Elden Ring Nightreign and Luke talks about Keita Takahashi's latest To A T. To close, we answer some mailbag questions about books we read and more.Credits- Hosts: Chris Person, Luke Plunkett, & guest Xalavier Nelson Jr.- Podcast Production & Ads: Multitude- Subscribe to Aftermath!About The ShowAftermath Hours is the flagship podcast of Aftermath, a worker-owned, subscription-based website covering video games, the internet, and everything that comes after from journalists who previously worked at Kotaku, Vice, and The Washington Post. Each week, games journalism veterans Luke Plunkett, Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, Riley MacLeod, and Gita Jackson – though not always all at once, because that's too many people for a podcast – break down video game news, Remember Some Games, and learn about Chris' frankly incredible number of special interests. Sometimes we even bring on guests from both inside and outside the video game industry! I don't know what else to tell you; it's a great time. Simply by reading this description, you're already wasting time that you could be spending listening to the show. Head to aftermath.site for more info. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Me want comic now! All-Star Gita Jackson and World's Finest Alex Jaffe team up with Comic Counselor Brad Gullickson to punch through the many floors of issue 40, and discuss the Green Arrow/Black Canary Wedding special as stealth 52 sequel, the many many many Luthor/Musk parallels, and Offspring's whole deal. Show Notes: 52 Geoff Johns Grant Morrison Greg Rucka Mark Waid Keith Giffen The Moon and Serpent Bumper Book of Magic Aleister Crowley Alan Moore Comic Book Couples Counseling Brad Gullickson Grateful Dead Superman All-Star Superman John Henry Irons Natasha Irons Lex Luthor Blackest Night Chainsaw Man 1: Let's Talk Talent (11:48) Chris Batista Rodney Ramos Dan Green Lady Styx Final Crisis Elon Musk Seinfeld Booster Gold Elongated Man Barack Obama Bill Gates J. G. Jones James Gunn Tom Taylor Superman: Son of Kal-El 2: Let's Talk About 52 #40 (22:44) Power Rangers Batman Sailor Moon The Venture Bros. John Henry Teen Titans Raven Beast Boy Offspring Aquagirl Plastic Man The Offspring Star Trek Kingdom Come The Kingdom Damian Wayne Everyman The Raid (2011) Green Arrow Green Arrow/Black Canary Wedding Special Black Canary Justice League Unlimited Lexor Osiris Sobek 2000 AD Captain Marvel 3: What's your favorite part of the issue? (42:30) 4: The Blackboard (45:55) Jeff Bezos Mark Zuckerberg Lex Luthor/Porky Pig The Social Network (2010) Jesse Eisenberg Zack Snyder XXX (2002) Absolute Martian Manhunter Chew Suicide Squad Barry Keoghan John Malkovich Garret Dillahunt The Sarah Connor Chronicles 5: Asking The Questions at 52mailbag@gmail.com (54:13) 52 Pickup is an Aftermath production, created by Gita Jackson and Alex Jaffe, and edited by Esper Quinn, with original music by Jon Ehrens. Hosting for 52 Pickup is provided by Insert Credit. If you'd like to follow along, you can check out 52 at your local comic book store or library, or the DC Universe Infinite subscription service. The views and opinions expressed on this show are solely those of the show's personalities, and do not reflect those of DC Entertainment or Warner Bros. Please rate and review our show wherever you can, and send your questions and comments to 52mailbag@gmail.com. Never stop reading comics.

Jamie is joined by Gita Jackson of the worker-owned video game and culture website Aftermath to discuss Andor, the Star Wars Rogue One prequel TV series starring Diego Luna. What's it saying about imperialism and the fight against it? Is it possible for a Disney property to actually be subversive? How did Diego Luna get so sexy? Should Jamie watch the other Star Wars? Check out Gita's essay in the NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/22/opinion/andor-star-wars-leftist-radical.html Check out Aftermath: https://aftermath.site/ *** SIGN UP NOW at https://patreon.com/partygirls to get all of our bonus content, Discord access, and a shout out on the pod! Follow us on ALL the Socials: Instagram: @party.girls.pod YouTube: @partygirlspod TikTok: @party.girls.pod Twitter: @partygirlspod BlueSky: @partygirls.bsky.social Leave us a nice review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you feel so inclined: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/party-girls/id1577239978 https://open.spotify.com/show/71ESqg33NRlEPmDxjbg4rO Executive Producer: Andrew Callaway Producers: Charlotte Albrecht, Jon B., Ryan M. Design: Julie J.

On this week's episode, Riley, Luke, and Isaiah intend to talk about a lot of topics, but mostly can't keep themselves from talking about Clair Obscur. We start by talking about two stories Aftermath ran this week: one in favor of parrying in video games, and one against. Those stories kicked off a flurry of discourse on social media, which we found mostly to be in good fun, and we talk about how those kinds of conversations are different now that we're at Aftermath instead of a larger site. Clair Obscur features parrying, so then we talk about that game a whole lot.Then, we discuss this week's layoffs at Electronic Arts, which follow on the heels of *other* layoffs at Electronic Arts. We wonder why several companies have run into trouble with licensed games, and we talk about the challenge of getting players excited about Marvel games when the MCU is facing its own uphill battle.Last, we talk about what games we're playing lately. Luke goes through a lot of games he didn't like before landing on one he did, 9 Kings. Riley wishes he were playing more Clair Obscur, so then we talk about that game a whole bunch more, and we debate whether it can ever be “too late” to talk about a video game.To close, we answer some mailbag questions about the best wrestling moves, what we'd do if we were CEO of EA, and who we trust to give us game recommendations. Credits- Hosts: Riley MacLeod, Luke Plunkett, & Isaiah Colbert- Podcast Production & Ads: Multitude- Subscribe to Aftermath!About The ShowAftermath Hours is the flagship podcast of Aftermath, a worker-owned, subscription-based website covering video games, the internet, and everything that comes after from journalists who previously worked at Kotaku, Vice, and The Washington Post. Each week, games journalism veterans Luke Plunkett, Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, Riley MacLeod, and Gita Jackson – though not always all at once, because that's too many people for a podcast – break down video game news, Remember Some Games, and learn about Chris' frankly incredible number of special interests. Sometimes we even bring on guests from both inside and outside the video game industry! I don't know what else to tell you; it's a great time. Simply by reading this description, you're already wasting time that you could be spending listening to the show. Head to aftermath.site for more info. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week's episode, Nathan and Luke are joined by Aftermath's newest regular contributor, former Polygon senior reporter Nicole Carpenter to discuss her tenure at the freshly gutted games media institution, as well as how she got into journalism in the first place. She also tells us about the time she got to speak to the voice of Barbie for a story, and she started speaking in character without even being asked. You love to hear it. Then we delve into the news of the week: First, the community around Google Maps-based location guessing game GeoGuessr protested the game's inclusion in the Saudi-backed Esports World Cup by blacking out most of the game's most popular maps… and it worked? Despite the prevailing mentality that corporate interests and oil money will overcome all, GeoGuessr's developers relented and pulled out of the event. We talk about the ways in which this situation was unique, but conclude that it can still serve as an inspiration to other gaming communities unnerved by the sudden presence of a sportswashing festival on their annual calendars. Then we move on to Grow A Garden, a Roblox game Nicole wrote about that has more concurrent players than anything on Steam. Why is it so popular? And what is Roblox offering young people that more traditional games don't? Lastly, we accept an offer from the King Of All Cosmos and transform Aftermath into a giant ball company.Credits- Hosts: Nathan Grayson, Luke Plunkett, & special guest Nicole Carpenter- Podcast Production & Ads: Multitude- Subscribe to Aftermath!About The ShowAftermath Hours is the flagship podcast of Aftermath, a worker-owned, subscription-based website covering video games, the internet, and everything that comes after from journalists who previously worked at Kotaku, Vice, and The Washington Post. Each week, games journalism veterans Luke Plunkett, Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, Riley MacLeod, and Gita Jackson – though not always all at once, because that's too many people for a podcast – break down video game news, Remember Some Games, and learn about Chris' frankly incredible number of special interests. Sometimes we even bring on guests from both inside and outside the video game industry! I don't know what else to tell you; it's a great time. Simply by reading this description, you're already wasting time that you could be spending listening to the show. Head to aftermath.site for more info. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Forgot about Bates! Old Man Will Weldon of I Hate Bill Maher joins All-Star Gita Jackson and World's Finest Alex Jaffe for issue 39, and in the process confront DC's Aquaman problem, fancast Oolong Island, and introduce the world to Saddam Hitler. Show Notes: 52 Geoff Johns Grant Morrison Greg Rucka Mark Waid Keith Giffen I Hate Bill Maher Will Weldon Real Time with Bill Maher Dan DiDio Chuck Dixon Dennis Miller Rob Liefeld Politically Incorrect LeBron James Marvel Comics The Avengers Black Knight Sersi Eternals Superboy Batman Infinite Crisis Civil War Joss Whedon Blackest Night Avengers vs. X-Men The Avengers (2012) Thanos Death James Gunn Booster Fucking Gold Aubrey Plaza Adam Warlock Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3 (2023) Deadpool X-Men Spider-Man Superman Karen Berger Vertigo Swamp Thing Alan Moore The Sopranos Promethea Justice League Steve Orlando Neil Gaiman The Sandman Robert Kanigher Flashpoint Miss Martian Watchmen Kieron Gillen Peter Cannon, Thunderbolt Doomsday Clock Barry Allen The New 52 Our Brian Clevinger Episode Batman: the Killing Joke (animated) Brian Azzarello Batman: the Killing Joke 1: Let's Talk Talent and the Cover (25:41) Andy Smith Ray Snyder Wonder Woman Attach Your Resume Lex Luthor Elon Musk Superman (1978) Mister Terrific Ethan Van Sciver Renee Montoya Richard Dragon Vic Sage J. G. Jones 2: Let's Talk About 52 #39 (27:47) Shonen Jump Natasha Irons Black Adam Skyman Scooby-Doo Tesla John Henry Irons Superman & Lois Lois Lane Friday Night Lights Buffy the Vampire Slayer Dragon Ball Z Akira Toriyama Buu Goku Freiza Katherine Heigl James Marsden Zachary Levi Aquaman Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis Ralph Dibny Helmet of Fate Spectre Inhumans Countdown Dragon Age series Powerless Harley Quinn the Animated Series The Office Mike Myers Doctor Sivana Michael Emerson Ludwig Will Magnus Metal Men T. O. Morrow Red Tornado Mercury The Pitt ER Star Trek Isis Osiris Boom Tube Apokolips Mother Box Big Barda Hannibal Bates Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Iron Man 2 (2010) Ultimate Spider-Man Chris Batista Animorphs Vixen: NYC Mark Russell Octavia Butler Jerry Siegel 3: The Backup (01:07:20) John Ostrander Hawkman Metamorpho Mars Argo Titanic Sinclair George Carlin Prince 4: What's your favorite part of the issue? (01:13:35) Dr. Tyme Doom Patrol Harley Quinn Fartacular: Silent Butt Deadly Poison Ivy 5: The Blackboard (01:20:01) Aquaman (2018) Jason Momoa Julie Andrews Joker: Last Laugh Doctor Doom Mad Hatter The Riddler 6: Asking The Questions at 52mailbag@gmail.com (01:26:24) Sailor Moon Naruto Iron Man (2008) Goodbye Pork Pie Hat Bat-Mite DC Action News The Losers 52 Pickup is an Aftermath production, created by Gita Jackson and Alex Jaffe, and edited by Esper Quinn, with original music by Jon Ehrens. Hosting for 52 Pickup is provided by Insert Credit. If you'd like to follow along, you can check out 52 at your local comic book store or library, or the DC Universe Infinite subscription service. The views and opinions expressed on this show are solely those of the show's personalities, and do not reflect those of DC Entertainment or Warner Bros. Please rate and review our show wherever you can, and send your questions and comments to 52mailbag@gmail.com. Never stop reading comics.

On this week's episode, Nathan and Chris are joined by Jeff Grubb of the newly independent Giant Bomb, an incredible turnaround from just a few weeks ago when it seemed like corporate meddling had blown the whole operation sky high. We discuss how Jeff and the rest of the Giant Bomb crew managed to buy their freedom and what the future holds now that the shackles are off (a lot more, as Jeff puts it, “bullshit”). Then we move on to recent Switch 2 news – hardware specs are out, and also Nintendo isn't sending pre-release units to press – and talk about very specific games we've been playing (RoadCraft, a truck sicko sandbox, and The Hundred Line, aka Fire Emblem for freaks). Finally, we reach into the depths of the mailbag and pull out the Scrappy Doo of video games, as well as an extended digression about Chris' wild yet undeniably alluring Norwegian chair.Credits- Hosts: Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, & special guest Jeff Grubb- Podcast Production & Ads: Multitude- Subscribe to Aftermath!About The ShowAftermath Hours is the flagship podcast of Aftermath, a worker-owned, subscription-based website covering video games, the internet, and everything that comes after from journalists who previously worked at Kotaku, Vice, and The Washington Post. Each week, games journalism veterans Luke Plunkett, Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, Riley MacLeod, and Gita Jackson – though not always all at once, because that's too many people for a podcast – break down video game news, Remember Some Games, and learn about Chris' frankly incredible number of special interests. Sometimes we even bring on guests from both inside and outside the video game industry! I don't know what else to tell you; it's a great time. Simply by reading this description, you're already wasting time that you could be spending listening to the show. Head to aftermath.site for more info. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week's episode, Nathan and Gita engage in a savvy act of brand synergy by bringing on extremely vocal AI critic and friend of the show Ed Zitron to celebrate the release of Aftermath's new “Destroy AI” shirt, which we made in conjunction with Kim Hu, an incredible (human) artist, and are very proud of. We eventually get around to talking about the extra-shimmery AI bubble, but first: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. Ed got into it recently, and ⅗ of Aftermath have been obsessed with it for years, so obviously we've got to ramble like a runaway train about the good (cool powers, clever fights, fun characters), the bad (a season that you can cut the entire middle out of), and the ugly (baby poop jokes) of the incredibly idiosyncratic anime. Then we discuss the societal rot AI continues to inspire, with kids cheating their way through school, normies having no idea what hallucinations are, and vulnerable people being talked into believing they're god. Still, Ed doesn't think this thing – or at least, the companies undergirding it – can last. The people in charge have no idea what human beings actually want or need, and that will come back to bite them eventually. Finally, we discuss Grand Theft Auto VI, which is a departure for the series in that it seems like a romance between two legitimately likable main characters. But can it sustain such an intimate dynamic in a game where you'll inevitably end up murdering 9,000 dudes? I guess we'll see! Credits- Hosts: Nathan Grayson, Gita Jackson, & special guest Ed Zitron- Podcast Production & Ads: Multitude- Subscribe to Aftermath!About The ShowAftermath Hours is the flagship podcast of Aftermath, a worker-owned, subscription-based website covering video games, the internet, and everything that comes after from journalists who previously worked at Kotaku, Vice, and The Washington Post. Each week, games journalism veterans Luke Plunkett, Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, Riley MacLeod, and Gita Jackson – though not always all at once, because that's too many people for a podcast – break down video game news, Remember Some Games, and learn about Chris' frankly incredible number of special interests. Sometimes we even bring on guests from both inside and outside the video game industry! I don't know what else to tell you; it's a great time. Simply by reading this description, you're already wasting time that you could be spending listening to the show. Head to aftermath.site for more info. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When the time comes, let go. World's Finest Gita Jackson and All-Star Alex Jaffe come to terms with issue 38 of 52, and the long-coming death of Vic Sage. But along the way they'll note the Watchmen parallels with Oolong Island, check in with Steelworks, and answer a listener question about Wonder Woman's magic period. Show Notes: 52 Geoff Johns Grant Morrison Greg Rucka Mark Waid Keith Giffen Le Morte d'Arthur Image Comics Spawn 1: Let's Talk Talent (02:49) Joe Bennett Jack Jadson J. G. Jones Final Fantasy One Winged Angel Vic Sage Jizz 2: Let's Talk About 52 #38 (05:54) Renee Montoya Nanda Parbat Kate Kane Chiller Warped Tour Yeah Yeah Yeahs Oolong Island The Pitt 24 Mercury T. O. Morrow Will Magnus Egg Fu Apokolips Black Adam Black Adam (2022) Subscribe to Aftermath Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Veronica Kale The Question (1986 series) Zhuangzi Hermann Hesse John Henry Irons Superman Doctor Mid-Nite Lex Luthor Natasha Irons Beast Boy Ted Kord Steve Ditko Booster Gold Frank Grimes Ralph Dibny Sue Dibny Alfred Pennyworth Tom King Batman Dan DiDio Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker Hal Jordan 3: The Backup (32:38) Red Tornado Phil Jiminez Andy Lanning Todd Nauck Young Justice Justice League of America by Brad Meltzer Jodi Picoult Wonder Woman The Real World Judd Winick Outsiders Percy Jackson Rick Riordan Sharp Objects Gillian Flynn Hades Absolute Wonder Woman Justice League International Ben Stein Napoleon Dynamite (2004) Benchwarmers (2006) Rob Schneider 4: What's your favorite part of the issue? (39:49) 5: The Blackboard (41:20) Watchmen Thomas Szasz Gotham Central Ed Brubaker 6: Asking The Questions at 52mailbag@gmail.com (48:25) Duke of Deception Rip Hunter Robert Kanigher Church of the SubGenius Denny O'Neal 52 Pickup is an Aftermath production, created by Gita Jackson and Alex Jaffe, and edited by Esper Quinn, with original music by Jon Ehrens. Hosting for 52 Pickup is provided by Insert Credit. If you'd like to follow along, you can check out 52 at your local comic book store or library, or the DC Universe Infinite subscription service. The views and opinions expressed on this show are solely those of the show's personalities, and do not reflect those of DC Entertainment or Warner Bros. Please rate and review our show wherever you can, and send your questions and comments to 52mailbag@gmail.com. Never stop reading comics.

On a very special (for bad reasons) episode of Aftermath Hours, Nathan, Riley, Chris, and Luke convene to mourn the apparent – and horrifyingly sudden – passing of two games media institutions: Polygon and Giant Bomb. None of this was, strictly speaking, necessary, with the former an unqualified success in terms of traffic and regard while the latter boasted a dedicated audience drawn to its unique mix of personalities. But of course, execs decided to gut both – on the same day, no less – and now we're left wondering what comes next. Independent, worker-owned sites like ours hope to pave a path toward a better future, but that will take a lot of time, and many excellent writers are out of work right now. Then, in less soul-crushing news, we discuss this year's latest surprise hit, extremely French RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which absolutely rules. Finally, we wrap up with the longest mailbag in the show's history, so get comfortable! Credits- Hosts: Nathan Grayson, Riley MacLeod, Chris Person, & Luke Plunkett- Podcast Production & Ads: Multitude- Subscribe to Aftermath!About The ShowAftermath Hours is the flagship podcast of Aftermath, a worker-owned, subscription-based website covering video games, the internet, and everything that comes after from journalists who previously worked at Kotaku, Vice, and The Washington Post. Each week, games journalism veterans Luke Plunkett, Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, Riley MacLeod, and Gita Jackson – though not always all at once, because that's too many people for a podcast – break down video game news, Remember Some Games, and learn about Chris' frankly incredible number of special interests. Sometimes we even bring on guests from both inside and outside the video game industry! I don't know what else to tell you; it's a great time. Simply by reading this description, you're already wasting time that you could be spending listening to the show. Head to aftermath.site for more info. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You gotta take advantage of these shiny characters! All-Star Gita Jackson and World's Finest Alex Jaffe team up with Atomic Brian Clevinger to reflect on the surfaces of 52 #37, featuring a salute to our himbo listeners, emergency renaming of otherwise fine characters, and Jaffe's house show with Stretchy Computer. Show Notes: 52 Geoff Johns Grant Morrison Greg Rucka Mark Waid Keith Giffen Animal Man Effervescent 8-Bit Theater Atomic Robo Brian Clevinger Webtoon Wizard Magazine Justice League Batman: No Man's Land Catwoman (2002 series) Batman: Batgirl Spider-Man Ultimate Spider-Man Midtown Comics 1: Let's Talk Talent (08:36) Pat Oliffe Drew Geraci Accomplished Perfect Physician Paul Chin Rip Hunter Booster Gold Kandor Supernova Skeets Deadshot Steve Englehart Batman 2: Let's Talk About 52 #37 (11:38) Vince Carter Otto Binder Captain Marvel Superman Connor Kent Jason Todd Power Rangers Gold Ranger Batman: Hush Tommy Elliot H2sh Mamoru Pulsar, Master of Sound Gingold Justice League International Blue Beetle Final Fantasy Undertale The Pitt 9-1-1 24 Legion of Super-Heroes Legends of Tomorrow Doctor Who Tom Baker Christopher Eccleston The Weakest Link Matt Smith David Tennant Tumblr Sexyman Ed Helms The Lorax (2012) Danny DeVito Patrick Schwarzenegger The White Lotus Kumail Nanjiani Heroes in Crisis Killzone: Liberation Magic: the Gathering Phantom Zone Dave Gibbons Alan Moore Dustin Nguyen “Good for him”— Marvel fans stunned as Dustin Nguyen calls out industry exploitation and cuts ties Freelance Video Game Journalists Are Propping Up The Industry, And Many Are Being Paid Dogshit In Return Jeff Smith Shazam: The Monster Society of Evil Bone Tawky Tawny Star City Oliver Queen Dan DiDio Ralph Dibny Black Canary Birds of Prey Cindy Reynolds The Flash CW Kitty Pryde Destroy All Humans 2 Lobo Swamp Thing The Invisibles Watchmen Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? Supreme Kurt Busiek Astro City Watchmen (2009) Superman and Batman versus Aliens and Predator Jujutsu Kaisen Potential Man Isis Vic Sage Renee Montoya 3: The Backup (51:50) Firestorm Blackest Night Wonder Woman Maxwell Lord New 52 Jim Lee Sorcerer Supreme Spider-Verse Gail Simone 4: What's your favorite part of the issue? (01:00:08) The Strokes Crazy in Love Stephen Wacker 5: The Blackboard (01:04:02) Dan Jurgens Jor-El Stan Lee Crisis on Infinite Earths Infinite Crisis Nightwing Batman Incorporated Damian Wayne 6: Asking The Questions at 52mailbag@gmail.com (01:14:54) WildStorm Wildcats Planetary Warren Ellis Neil Gaiman The Authority Martian Manhunter Apollo Midnighter Prometheus Grifter Sterling Archer Outsiders Batwoman Batwing Doomsday Clock Gen13 DV8 The Munsters Today Smallville Marvel Rivals Fortnite DC Dark Legion Rorschach Cheetah Vixen Titans My Chemical Romance Frank Miller Catwoman (2004) Superman III (1983) Brian Clevinger on Bluesky 52 Pickup is an Aftermath production, created by Gita Jackson and Alex Jaffe, and edited by Esper Quinn, with original music by Jon Ehrens. Hosting for 52 Pickup is provided by Insert Credit. If you'd like to follow along, you can check out 52 at your local comic book store or library, or the DC Universe Infinite subscription service. The views and opinions expressed on this show are solely those of the show's personalities, and do not reflect those of DC Entertainment or Warner Bros. Please rate and review our show wherever you can, and send your questions and comments to 52mailbag@gmail.com. Never stop reading comics.

This week Nathan and Chris are joined by Aftermath's first-ever regular contributor, Isaiah Colbert, to talk about the latter's speciality: anime. It does not take long for this to spiral into a fittingly multi-part conversation about JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, but we also manage to at least briefly tackle issues pertaining to labor in the anime and manga industries and fans' reaction (or lack thereof) to pervasive crunch at major studios. Then we discuss Nathan's big, months-in-the-making report on OTK, a streamer organization headed up by Twitch stars like Asmongold and Mizkif which finds itself facing an uncertain future after years of scandal and streamers, who also own the organization, losing interest. After that, Chris gushes about Blue Prince, a roguelite puzzle game tailor-made for the exact kind of person Chris is. Finally, we answer a reader question about everybody's favorite completely uncontroversial anime topic: fan service. Credits- Hosts: Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, & special guest Isaiah Colbert- Podcast Production & Ads: Multitude- Subscribe to Aftermath!About The ShowAftermath Hours is the flagship podcast of Aftermath, a worker-owned, subscription-based website covering video games, the internet, and everything that comes after from journalists who previously worked at Kotaku, Vice, and The Washington Post. Each week, games journalism veterans Luke Plunkett, Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, Riley MacLeod, and Gita Jackson – though not always all at once, because that's too many people for a podcast – break down video game news, Remember Some Games, and learn about Chris' frankly incredible number of special interests. Sometimes we even bring on guests from both inside and outside the video game industry! I don't know what else to tell you; it's a great time. Simply by reading this description, you're already wasting time that you could be spending listening to the show. Head to aftermath.site for more info. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

To celebrate the return of Inside Baseball Week – during which we publish a barrage of stories about the lesser-known parts of game dev, the ins and outs of games journalism, and other topics so specific no other website would ever touch them – we put together a roundtable about worker-owned media featuring Aftermath's Nathan Grayson and Riley MacLeod, Defector's David Roth, 404 Media's Emanuel Maiberg, and Hell Gate's Max Rivlin-Nader. We go deep on all sorts of topics: What was the hardest part of starting a publication in this mold? How did you know when you'd found your site's voice? How do you collectively make decisions when everyone's an owner? Who handles business stuff when everyone's a writer (and, in Aftermath's case, definitely NOT a businessperson)? How do you promote the written word to a video-obsessed internet? And at what point do you, somebody who got into this business to be a journalist, have to transform yourself into at least a bit of an influencer? And perhaps most importantly, how can sites like ours work together to create a scene that provides opportunities to new voices as opposed to just cashing in on preexisting clout? Finally, we get to the topic everyone's really listening for: the awkward truth underlying podcast ad reads about people's guts not working right. Credits- Hosts: Nathan Grayson, Riley MacLeod, & special guests David Roth, Emanuel Maiberg, and Max Rivlin-Nader- Podcast Production & Ads: Multitude- Subscribe to Aftermath!About The ShowAftermath Hours is the flagship podcast of Aftermath, a worker-owned, subscription-based website covering video games, the internet, and everything that comes after from journalists who previously worked at Kotaku, Vice, and The Washington Post. Each week, games journalism veterans Luke Plunkett, Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, Riley MacLeod, and Gita Jackson – though not always all at once, because that's too many people for a podcast – break down video game news, Remember Some Games, and learn about Chris' frankly incredible number of special interests. Sometimes we even bring on guests from both inside and outside the video game industry! I don't know what else to tell you; it's a great time. Simply by reading this description, you're already wasting time that you could be spending listening to the show. Head to aftermath.site for more info. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You can always trust me! All-Star Gita Jackson and World's Finest Alex Jaffe cling desperately to issue 36, featuring an update on our beloved space heroes, neckless Trent Reznor, and the lovable and irascible Sobek the Talking Crocodile! Show Notes: 52 Geoff Johns Grant Morrison Greg Rucka Mark Waid Keith Giffen James Brown From Hell Alan Moore Neil Gaiman Lost Girls Animal Man (1988 series) Lady Styx 1: Let's Talk Talent (07:04) Jamal Igle Supergirl The Ray Firestorm (2004 series) Keith Champagne Green Lantern JSA 2: Let's Talk About 52 #36 (08:09) Lobo Chewbacca Starfire Adam Strange Flash Gordon Alan Grant Lobo Paramilitary Christmas Special Ekron Seven Soldiers of Victory The Multiversity Batman Watchmen Captain Atom Doctor Manhattan Renee Montoya Vic Sage Aristotle Rodor Kate Kane Denny O'Neil The Question (1986 series) Nine Inch Nails Trent Reznor Osiris Teen Titans Barney the Dinosaur Booster Gold Rip Hunter Starman Cosmic Rod Lord of the Rings Kevin Smith Skeets Bottle City of Kandor 3: The Backup (28:36) Power Girl Leah Williams Adam Hughes Catwoman cover Sidney Sweeney All-Star Squadron Gerry Conway Jay Garrick Alan Scott Carrie Bradshaw Justin Gray Amanda Conner Jimmy Palmiotti Everything You Wanted to Know About Power Girl (But Were Afraid to Ask) 4: What's your favorite part of the issue? (38:50) 5: The Blackboard (40:42) Legion of Super-Heroes Chronos Robin Superman Wally Wood 6: Asking The Questions at 52mailbag@gmail.com (43:57) 52 Pickup is an Aftermath production, created by Gita Jackson and Alex Jaffe, and edited by Esper Quinn, with original music by Jon Ehrens. Hosting for 52 Pickup is provided by Insert Credit. If you'd like to follow along, you can check out 52 at your local comic book store or library, or the DC Universe Infinite subscription service. The views and opinions expressed on this show are solely those of the show's personalities, and do not reflect those of DC Entertainment or Warner Bros. Please rate and review our show wherever you can, and send your questions and comments to 52mailbag@gmail.com. Never stop reading comics.

This week Nathan and Chris are joined by special guest Mike Drucker, comedian and writer on shows like Adam Ruins Everything, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, to talk about his new book, Good Game, No Rematch: A Life Made of Video Games. We discuss how games and people's relationship to them have changed over the years – and also the time Mike got shot in the dick with a paintball gun while working for Nintendo. Speaking of Nintendo, we then move on to the Switch 2, which the company finally revealed in earnest this week with a handful of intriguing games (Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, a new FromSoftware game) and a price tag that's giving would-be buyers serious sticker shock as a result of, well, everything else going on in the world right now. We also put out into the universe the idea of a new DK Rap – but this time they hire a legit rapper and play it totally straight. Please, Nintendo, fulfill our dreams.Credits- Hosts: Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, & special guest Mike Drucker- Podcast Production & Ads: Multitude- Subscribe to Aftermath!About The ShowAftermath Hours is the flagship podcast of Aftermath, a worker-owned, subscription-based website covering video games, the internet, and everything that comes after from journalists who previously worked at Kotaku, Vice, and The Washington Post. Each week, games journalism veterans Luke Plunkett, Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, Riley MacLeod, and Gita Jackson – though not always all at once, because that's too many people for a podcast – break down video game news, Remember Some Games, and learn about Chris' frankly incredible number of special interests. Sometimes we even bring on guests from both inside and outside the video game industry! I don't know what else to tell you; it's a great time. Simply by reading this description, you're already wasting time that you could be spending listening to the show. Head to aftermath.site for more info. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week Nathan, Gita, and Riley briefly talk about their true passion, shirts, before elegantly segueing into a conversation about Ubisoft's extremely eventful week: The embattled publisher announced that it's spinning off its most successful series, including Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six, into a separate subsidiary thanks to a $1.25 billion investment from Chinese conglomerate Tencent. What does this mean for those remaining aboard the Ubisoft mothership? And will this lead to even more heads rolling following layoffs and studio closures in December? Then we move on to the AI abomination of the week: an image filter based on the works of Studio Ghibli, whose most famous creative, Hayao Miyazaki, once called AI “an insult to life itself.” After that, we give our final appraisal of Severance season two, which was not perfect, but which managed to hit some impressive high notes and benefited from largely focusing on characters over mystery box shenanigans. Gita doesn't love Ben Stiller's directorial style, and Riley doesn't think Severance is necessarily a Smart Show, but those things don't prevent it from being good, if that makes sense. If it doesn't, listen to the episode! Finally, we come up with a simple solution to the problem of mass media illiteracy: change all of society. Seems like something we can knock out in a day or two, so let's get cracking.Credits- Hosts: Nathan Grayson, Gita Jackson, & Riley MacLeod- Podcast Production & Ads: Multitude- Subscribe to Aftermath!About The ShowAftermath Hours is the flagship podcast of Aftermath, a worker-owned, subscription-based website covering video games, the internet, and everything that comes after from journalists who previously worked at Kotaku, Vice, and The Washington Post. Each week, games journalism veterans Luke Plunkett, Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, Riley MacLeod, and Gita Jackson – though not always all at once, because that's too many people for a podcast – break down video game news, Remember Some Games, and learn about Chris' frankly incredible number of special interests. Sometimes we even bring on guests from both inside and outside the video game industry! I don't know what else to tell you; it's a great time. Simply by reading this description, you're already wasting time that you could be spending listening to the show. Head to aftermath.site for more info. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

All-Star Gita Jackson and World's Finest Alex Jaffe plummet into 52 #35, featuring bad puns for gruesome events, Kirkland Signature Superman, and shocking new developments for everyone's favorite storyline, Lobo and the space heroes. Show Notes: 52 Geoff Johns Grant Morrison Greg Rucka Mark Waid Keith Giffen Shohei Ohtani The Further Adventures of The Joker Batman: the Animated Series Joker Batman Lex Luthor 1: Let's Talk Talent (03:35) Phil Jimenez Dan Jurgens Andy Lanning Norm Ratman Superman John Henry Irons Justice League Unlimited Darkseid 2: Let's Talk About 52 #35 (07:02) Are You Afraid of the Dark Universe? Podcast Nicholas Hoult Hunter x Hunter TARDIS Natasha Irons Infinity Inc. The Pitt Noah Wyle 24 The Sopranos The West Wing The Newsroom Aaron Sorkin Being the Ricardos (2021) Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip Metamorpho Plastic Man Offspring The Kingdom Kingdom Come Beast Boy Teen Titans Trigon Andy Cohen Community Lady Styx Dan DiDio 3: What's your favorite part of the issue? (27:31) Heroes in Crisis Doctor Doom Loki 4: The Blackboard (30:51) Brain Monsieur Mallah Elseworlds Doug Moench JLA: Act of God Lois Lane Kyle Rayner Atom Wonder Woman Dasha Nekrasova Man of Steel (2013) Vandal Savage Jerry Siegel 5: Asking The Questions at 52mailbag@gmail.com (39:04) Poison Ivy Anarky Red Hood Red Hood and the Outlaws Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010) Suicide Squad Secret Six Catwoman Lucifer Red Lanterns Batman: One Bad Day The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing Darth Vader Puella Magi Madoka Magica Revolutionary Girl Utena Neon Genesis Evangelion Gurren Lagaan Berserk Chainsaw Man Goodbye, Eri Devilman Pluto Jujutsu Kaisen My Hero Academia Shonen Jump Boruto 52 Pickup is an Aftermath production, created by Gita Jackson and Alex Jaffe, and edited by Esper Quinn, with original music by Jon Ehrens. Hosting for 52 Pickup is provided by Insert Credit. If you'd like to follow along, you can check out 52 at your local comic book store or library, or the DC Universe Infinite subscription service. The views and opinions expressed on this show are solely those of the show's personalities, and do not reflect those of DC Entertainment or Warner Bros. Please rate and review our show wherever you can, and send your questions and comments to 52mailbag@gmail.com. Never stop reading comics.

This week Chris is holding down the fort with Luke and is joined by writer Yussef Cole (@youmeyou.bsky.social) who reviewed Assassin's Creed Shadows for The New York Times. We get into Assassin's Creed generally and Shadows specifically, what we like and dislike about the game and if it makes good its narrative promise. Is it simply enough for a game to be the ultimate Japan simulator, particularly when it works so well with the series?Credits- Hosts: Chris Person, Luke Plunkett & special guest Yussef Cole- Yussef also edits Bullet Points Monthly, you can read it here: bulletpointsmonthly.com/- Podcast Production & Ads: Multitude- Subscribe to Aftermath!About The ShowAftermath Hours is the flagship podcast of Aftermath, a worker-owned, subscription-based website covering video games, the internet, and everything that comes after from journalists who previously worked at Kotaku, Vice, and The Washington Post. Each week, games journalism veterans Luke Plunkett, Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, Riley MacLeod, and Gita Jackson – though not always all at once, because that's too many people for a podcast – break down video game news, Remember Some Games, and learn about Chris' frankly incredible number of special interests. Sometimes we even bring on guests from both inside and outside the video game industry! I don't know what else to tell you; it's a great time. Simply by reading this description, you're already wasting time that you could be spending listening to the show. Head to aftermath.site for more info. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week Nathan and Chris are joined by freelance writer Aidan Moher to discuss his upcoming book about Suikoden I and II, a pair of sneakily influential JRPGs from the PS1 era that, yes, are very much worth writing an entire book about. Then we discuss news from the eye of the pre-GDC storm: Next week thousands of game developers will convene in San Francisco to network and exchange knowledge, but a growing number of non-US-based devs are dropping out due to Trump's hostile policies and erratic governance. After that we talk about Sony and Microsoft both introducing new unwanted AI features in the same week. Whose is worse? We'll let you decide. Lastly, we design the one product that should include generative AI: a fucked-up private jet for rich people that definitely works just fine.Credits- Hosts: Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, & special guest Aidan Moher- Podcast Production & Ads: Multitude- Subscribe to Aftermath!About The ShowAftermath Hours is the flagship podcast of Aftermath, a worker-owned, subscription-based website covering video games, the internet, and everything that comes after from journalists who previously worked at Kotaku, Vice, and The Washington Post. Each week, games journalism veterans Luke Plunkett, Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, Riley MacLeod, and Gita Jackson – though not always all at once, because that's too many people for a podcast – break down video game news, Remember Some Games, and learn about Chris' frankly incredible number of special interests. Sometimes we even bring on guests from both inside and outside the video game industry! I don't know what else to tell you; it's a great time. Simply by reading this description, you're already wasting time that you could be spending listening to the show. Head to aftermath.site for more info. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Gaslight, gatekeep, graveboss! All-Star Gita and World's Finest Alex are joined by The Black Casebook Podcast's Walt Lewellyn to rise up for issue 34, taking on Barbara Gordon's Boiler Room set, whether or not 52 counts as an event comic, and the DC Universe's own version of WikiFeet. SHOW NOTES: 52 Geoff Johns Grant Morrison Greg Rucka Mark Waid Keith Giffen Beyonce - Irreplacable Miley Cyrus - Can't Be Tamed One Piece The Black Casebook Insert Credit Show Identity Crisis New 52 Crisis on Infinite Earths Wonder Woman Suicide Squad Batman NSYNC Justin Timberlake JC Chasez Pulsar, Master of Sound Pulsar Stargrave Superman Johnny Appleseed Hergé Snowy Tintin The Smurfs Moomin Snuffkin 1: Let's Talk Talent, and The Cover (09:39) Joe Bennett José Ruy Vic Sage WikiFeet Maxim Magazine Bugs Bunny 2: Let's Talk About 52 #34 (12:20) Amanda Waller Captain Boomerang Supergirl The Persuader Plastique Alpha Flight Black Adam Osiris Isis Batman Returns (1992) The Penguin Sobek Argent Teen Titans (Glenn Murakami cartoon) Raven Madame Xanadu Atom Smasher Legion of Super-Heroes Terra-Man Invincible Lex Luthor Civil War Captain America: Brave New World (2025) James Gunn Can't Stop Making Suicide Squads Green Lantern Corps Creature Commandos Collective Action Comics Joss Whedon Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) Thanos Zack Snyder Black Panther (2018) Mission Impossible series Ryan Coogler Russo Brothers David Xanatos Death Note John Ostrander Absolute Power Viola Davis How To Get Away with Murder Polka-Dot Man Mark Millar Ralph Dibny Sue Dibny Community Ratcatcher 2 Oracle Boiler Room Dick Grayson Infinity Inc Kurt Busiek Booster Gold The Multiversity Damian Wayne The Hills Lauren Conrad 24 Heidi Montag The Simple Life Matrix Paris Hilton Renee Montoya Black Canary John Henry Irons Natasha Irons John Byrne David Bowie Justice League Unlimited Flash Jeph Loeb Superman: For All Seasons Gene Hackman Bella Swan Conner Kent Renesmee Cullen Cassie Sandsmark Taylor Swift Denny O'Neil The Question (1986 series) Richard Dragon Astro City Cryptkeeper EC Comics 3: The Backup (47:15) Zatanna Smallville Young Justice The CW Kevin Conroy Brian Bolland Hawkman The Atom Zatara Seven Soldiers of Victory: Zatanna Hellblazer John Constantine Neil Gaiman Tim Hunter Vertigo Alan Moore Dan DiDio Chip Zdarsky Batman: The Knight 4: What's your favorite part of the issue? (54:53) Oolong Island Gotham Central 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) Countdown to Final Crisis DC One Million Christopher Priest 5: The Blackboard (01:01:21) Batwoman Jay-Z Spike Lee Will Magnus T. O. Morrow Adam Strange Animal Man Vandal Savage Dua Lipa Tate McRae Dazzler Venus of the Hardsell Bob Lennon Asking The Questions at 52mailbag@gmail.com (01:11:53) Catwoman Starfire Alfred Pennyworth Tom King Gotham Boy Gotham Girl Henchman 24 NewsTime: The Life and Death of Superman Blackest Night Harley Quinn Amanda Conner Jimmy Palmiotti Harley Quinn: the Animated Series Paul Dini Eliott Kalan The Flop House Broad City Skrillex & Rick Ross - Purple Lamborghini Batman: Ego and Other Tails 52 Pickup is an Aftermath production, created by Gita Jackson and Alex Jaffe, and edited by Esper Quinn, with original music by Jon Ehrens. Hosting for 52 Pickup is provided by Insert Credit. If you'd like to follow along, you can check out 52 at your local comic book store or library, or the DC Universe Infinite subscription service. The views and opinions expressed on this show are solely those of the show's personalities, and do not reflect those of DC Entertainment or Warner Bros. Please rate and review our show wherever you can, and send your questions and comments to 52mailbag@gmail.com. Never stop reading comics.

This week Nathan, Chris, and Riley overcome a slew of technical issues to bring you the latest news about guys who suck. First we discuss two Twitch dramas that broke containment and produced consequences that reverberated into the wider world: Several female streamers, Valkyrae, Cinna, Emiru, and Amouranth, found themselves in severe mortal peril during the same night and Hasan “HasanAbi” Piker was briefly banned for suggesting that if Republican lawmakers really wanted to act on their principles, they'd “kill Rick Scott,” a current senator and former healthcare CEO who oversaw what the Department of Justice called “the largest health care fraud case in US history.” In more ways than one, how is Twitch meeting our current moment? And what are the real-world consequences of the culture surrounding Twitch? Then we get a Chris Person twofer in characteristically detailed breakdowns of Monster Hunter Wilds, a game so insanely popular that it nearly doubled Street Fighter 6's lifetime sales in a few days, and a fancy headphone convention during which he learned that the real optimal picks are the budget pairs you find along the way. Finally, we discuss what gamers should give up for lent (gacha games, at which point maybe they'll just leave them behind forever, like Dry January for waifus).   Credits - Hosts: Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, & Riley MacLeod - Podcast Production & Ads: Multitude - Subscribe to Aftermath! About The Show Aftermath Hours is the flagship podcast of Aftermath, a worker-owned, subscription-based website covering video games, the internet, and everything that comes after from journalists who previously worked at Kotaku, Vice, and The Washington Post. Each week, games journalism veterans Luke Plunkett, Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, Riley MacLeod, and Gita Jackson – though not always all at once, because that's too many people for a podcast – break down video game news, Remember Some Games, and learn about Chris' frankly incredible number of special interests. Sometimes we even bring on guests from both inside and outside the video game industry! I don't know what else to tell you; it's a great time. Simply by reading this description, you're already wasting time that you could be spending listening to the show. Head to aftermath.site for more info.

This week Nathan and Gita accidentally burst the dam on another wellspring of Riley Lore – perhaps the wildest yet – before we all move on to a discussion of more sobering matters: WB recently closed three video game studios, including Monolith, the makers of quietly revolutionary games like No One Lives Forever, F.E.A.R., and Shadow of Mordor, as well as the upcoming (now-canceled) Wonder Woman game. WB, of course, has proven especially eager to dumpster promising projects beyond the world of games in recent years, but what portion of this sickness is specific to the company and where does it overlap with the gaming industry's own mismanagement epidemic? Then we talk about Jeff Bezos' mask-off decision to transform The Washington Post into the propaganda arm of his already-unimaginably-profitable business empire, the latest in a line of tech billionaires bending the knee to tired old king Donald Trump and cackling vizier Elon Musk. Speaking of workplaces that suck, we also discuss Severance, a show that definitely does not suck. It has the trappings of a mystery box, but so far, it has successfully maintained a focus on characters above all else. Fantastic! Keep it up! Please do not become another Lost or Westworld! Finally, we suggest games that would be improved by the addition of a Nemesis System (basically all of them; fuck WB for patenting it).     Credits - Hosts: Nathan Grayson, Gita Jackson, & Riley MacLeod - Podcast Production & Ads: Multitude - Subscribe to Aftermath! About The Show Aftermath Hours is the flagship podcast of Aftermath, a worker-owned, subscription-based website covering video games, the internet, and everything that comes after from journalists who previously worked at Kotaku, Vice, and The Washington Post. Each week, games journalism veterans Luke Plunkett, Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, Riley MacLeod, and Gita Jackson – though not always all at once, because that's too many people for a podcast – break down video game news, Remember Some Games, and learn about Chris' frankly incredible number of special interests. Sometimes we even bring on guests from both inside and outside the video game industry! I don't know what else to tell you; it's a great time. Simply by reading this description, you're already wasting time that you could be spending listening to the show. Head to aftermath.site for more info.

Giddyup, Jinglehorse! All-Star Gita Jackson and World's Finest Alex Jaffe sleighride into Week 33, the Christmas Issue! Celebrate Lex Luthor's memecoin launch, Batman's canonical Judaism, and lorem ipsum dolor sit amet. Chapters: Let's Talk Talent: Don't Have Heroes (04:42) Let's Talk About 52 #33 (19:14) The Backup (57:59) What's your favorite part of the issue? (01:05:57) The Blackboard (01:08:06) Asking The Questions at 52mailbag@gmail.com (01:15:25) A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: 52 Geoff Johns Grant Morrison Greg Rucka Mark Waid Keith Giffen Brat Taylor Swift Kate Kane Joe Bennett Brad Neely You, Me, and Ulysses S. Grant Severance Parks and Recreation Adam Scott Barack Obama Joe Biden Michael Schur Hillary Clinton The Good Place Grant Morrison's Substack Chris Person WeWork Collective Action Comics George W. Bush Ultimate Avengers Death & Return of Superman Bill Clinton Justice League International The Comics Journal José Antonio Muñoz Alack Sinner Sin City Ambush Bug Legion of Super-Heroes J. M. DeMatteis Greg Land Doomsday Clock Tom Derenick Joe Prado Star Trek Blackest Night Generations Shattered Dark Knights: Death Metal Rodney Ramos Jay Leisten Birds of Prey Hawkgirl Mike Baron Dick Grayson 30 Rockefeller Plaza 30 Rock Ralph Dibny Doctor Fate The Flash Barry Allen Edgar Allan Poe Jack the Ripper It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year All I Want For Christmas Is You Jingle Bell Rock Alfred Pennyworth Batman Jeanine Schaefer Dan DiDio Final Crisis Battle for the Cowl Jon Snow Knightfall Jean-Paul Valley LexCorp Lex Luthor Lorem Ipsum Mercy Graves Harley Quinn: the Animated Series Poison Ivy Talladega Nights (2006) Superman Neuralink monkey deaths Planet of the Apes Tom King Vic Sage Renee Montoya Dennis O'Neil Myra Fermin Aristotle Roder Twin Peaks David Lynch Brian Michael Bendis Buddy Baker Lois Lane Firestorm Cyborg Selena Kyle Green Arrow Black Canary Cassie Sandsmark Hawkgirl Hal Jordan Guy Gardner Nathan Fielder Nathan Fillion Red Tornado Jim Gordon John Henry Irons Christmukkah Hanukkah Black Adam Isis Osiris Amanda Waller Suicide Squad Atom Smasher Captain Boomerang Count Vertigo Plastique Electrocutioner The Persuader J'onn J'onzz Justice League Unlimited DC One Million Tom Mandrake DC Universe Infinite GlobalComix Shonen Jump Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Tokyo Ghoul Infinite Crisis Mori Calliope ComicBookReligion.com Helena Bertinelli Cry For Blood Cassandra Cain Doom Patrol Rachel Pollack Shade, the Changing Man 52 Pickup is an Aftermath production, created by Gita Jackson and Alex Jaffe, and edited by Esper Quinn, with original music by Jon Ehrens. Hosting for 52 Pickup is provided by Insert Credit. If you'd like to follow along, you can check out 52 at your local comic book store or library, or the DC Universe Infinite subscription service. The views and opinions expressed on this show are solely those of the show's personalities, and do not reflect those of DC Entertainment or Warner Bros. Please rate and review our show wherever you can, and send your questions and comments to 52mailbag@gmail.com. Never stop reading comics.

This week Nathan, Chris, and Luke find themselves champing at the bit to talk about Avowed, which they can't stop playing, but first, The News: NetEase shocked the game-playing public by laying off members of the team behind Marvel Rivals, the biggest breakout success story to come out of the live service sector in years. What happened? Well, decaying relations between the United States and China, for one, but also a seismic shift in how Chinese companies are developing games. Then we discuss Microsoft's new “Muse” AI, which it intends on shoehorning into game development projects – a plan you will not be surprised to learn that nobody likes! Game developers least of all! This is especially pertinent considering that Microsoft just published Avowed, a fantasy role-playing game that's so good because it was meticulously crafted by human hands in a way that feels tangible for every second of the experience. Lastly, we decide which game console would work best as a house (Gamecube for humans, PlayStation 4 or 5 for roaches).   Credits - Hosts: Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, & Luke Plunkett - Podcast Production & Ads: Multitude - Subscribe to Aftermath! About The Show Aftermath Hours is the flagship podcast of Aftermath, a worker-owned, subscription-based website covering video games, the internet, and everything that comes after from journalists who previously worked at Kotaku, Vice, and The Washington Post. Each week, games journalism veterans Luke Plunkett, Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, Riley MacLeod, and Gita Jackson – though not always all at once, because that's too many people for a podcast – break down video game news, Remember Some Games, and learn about Chris' frankly incredible number of special interests. Sometimes we even bring on guests from both inside and outside the video game industry! I don't know what else to tell you; it's a great time. Simply by reading this description, you're already wasting time that you could be spending listening to the show. Head to aftermath.site for more info.

This week Nathan, Chris, and Luke find themselves champing at the bit to talk about Avowed, which they can't stop playing, but first, The News: NetEase shocked the game-playing public by laying off members of the team behind Marvel Rivals, the biggest breakout success story to come out of the live service sector in years. What happened? Well, decaying relations between the United States and China, for one, but also a seismic shift in how Chinese companies are developing games. Then we discuss Microsoft's new “Muse” AI, which it intends on shoehorning into game development projects – a plan you will not be surprised to learn that nobody likes! Game developers least of all! This is especially pertinent considering that Microsoft just published Avowed, a fantasy role-playing game that's so good because it was meticulously crafted by human hands in a way that feels tangible for every second of the experience. Lastly, we decide which game console would work best as a house (Gamecube for humans, PlayStation 4 or 5 for roaches).Credits- Hosts: Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, & Luke Plunkett- Podcast Production & Ads: Multitude- Subscribe to Aftermath!About The ShowAftermath Hours is the flagship podcast of Aftermath, a worker-owned, subscription-based website covering video games, the internet, and everything that comes after from journalists who previously worked at Kotaku, Vice, and The Washington Post. Each week, games journalism veterans Luke Plunkett, Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, Riley MacLeod, and Gita Jackson – though not always all at once, because that's too many people for a podcast – break down video game news, Remember Some Games, and learn about Chris' frankly incredible number of special interests. Sometimes we even bring on guests from both inside and outside the video game industry! I don't know what else to tell you; it's a great time. Simply by reading this description, you're already wasting time that you could be spending listening to the show. Head to aftermath.site for more info. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week Nathan, Chris, and Luke convene on the eve – if we're measuring in podcast time – of Nathan's book release (Stream Big, available wherever books are sold) to talk mostly about other stuff. First up, Activision and former Activision CEO Bobby Kotick both got into dustups with CWA, the union that represents over 1,000 workers across Microsoft and Activision, with Kotick claiming that harassment suits against Activision Blizzard were “fake,” engineered to juice CWA membership, while – over here in the real world – CWA is working to get an Activision employee his job back after he was fired (allegedly) for talking about guns… at the company that makes Call of Duty. Hmmmm. Then we move on to Civilization VII, which Luke has many, many thoughts about, none of them positive. The game feels distinctly unfinished, he says – a sign of the times when even such a ubiquitous series no longer commands the time and resources necessary to emerge from the oven fully baked. After that, Chris tells us about a thing that rules: Lies of P, the Pinocchio-themed Bloodborne-like that's receiving DLC in the near future. Then we wrap it up by talking about our favorite interview moments, some of which might tie into Nathan's book (what are the odds?).    Credits - Hosts: Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, & Luke Plunkett - Podcast Production & Ads: Multitude - Subscribe to Aftermath! About The Show Aftermath Hours is the flagship podcast of Aftermath, a worker-owned, subscription-based website covering video games, the internet, and everything that comes after from journalists who previously worked at Kotaku, Vice, and The Washington Post. Each week, games journalism veterans Luke Plunkett, Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, Riley MacLeod, and Gita Jackson – though not always all at once, because that's too many people for a podcast – break down video game news, Remember Some Games, and learn about Chris' frankly incredible number of special interests. Sometimes we even bring on guests from both inside and outside the video game industry! I don't know what else to tell you; it's a great time. Simply by reading this description, you're already wasting time that you could be spending listening to the show. Head to aftermath.site for more info.

All-Star Gita Jackson and World's Finest Alex Jaffe team up with Music Meister Paul Chin to leap into week 32, featuring talking crocodiles, the least disrespectful ways to pay homage to Watchmen, and Pulsar, Master of Sound. Chapters: Let's Talk Talent (21:26) Let's Talk About the Cover (27:34) Let's Talk About 52 #32 (28:40) The Backup (01:21:03) What's your favorite part of the issue? (01:23:11) The Blackboard (01:27:26) Asking The Questions at 52mailbag@gmail.com (01:34:48) A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: 52 Geoff Johns Grant Morrison Greg Rucka Mark Waid Keith Giffen Kate Kane The Nice House by the Sea Paul Chin Superman Batman Green Lantern Firestorm Infinite Crisis Superboy Cassie Sandsmark Teen Titans Marv Wolfman George Pérez Final Crisis Mary Marvel New X-Men Robin Damian Wayne Peter Tomasi Dick Grayson Joshua Williamson Ralph Dibny Identity Crisis Angelica Jade Bastién Tom King New 52 Le Transperceneige Snowpiercer (2013) Nanda Parbat Deepak Chopra Neal Adams Patrick Oliffe Drew Geraci Osiris Dan DiDio Paul Dini Harley Quinn J. G. Jones Star Wars Deadman Dennis O'Neil Ra's al Ghul Doctor Fate Kyle Rayner Green Lantern (1990 series) #93 Obi-Wan Kenobi The Great Gatsby Seven Years in Tibet (1997) Brad Pitt Limitless (2011) Young Frankenstein Más y Menos Cyborg Beast Boy Raven Duela Dent Joker Offspring The Kingdom Kingdom Come Miss Martian Supergirl Talon Pulsar, Master of Sound Vogue Red Devil Deathstroke Avengers Black Adam Animal Man Darkseid Jack Kirby Adam Strange Captain Comet Starfire Tamaran The Spectre Jean Loring Great Ten Yao Fei Vic Sage Multiversity Alan Moore Watchmen Sue Dibny Doctor Manhattan Booster Gold Hu Wei Intergang Abbott Elementary It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia David Baron Gene Luen Yang Wu Mei-Xin Barbara Gordon Blue Beetle Cully Hamner Blue Beetle (2023) Black Panther (2018) The Authority Hawkman Doomsday Clock Barry Allen Wally West Simon Spurrier Heroes in Crisis Miles Morales The O.C. Gossip Girl 52 Pickup is an Aftermath production, created by Gita Jackson and Alex Jaffe, and edited by Esper Quinn, with original music by Jon Ehrens. Hosting for 52 Pickup is provided by Insert Credit. If you'd like to follow along, you can check out 52 at your local comic book store or library, or the DC Universe Infinite subscription service. The views and opinions expressed on this show are solely those of the show's personalities, and do not reflect those of DC Entertainment or Warner Bros. Please rate and review our show wherever you can, and send your questions and comments to 52mailbag@gmail.com. Never stop reading comics.

This week Nathan and Riley are joined by special guest Rowan Zeoli of Rascal, an independent, reader-supported, worker-owned outlet for journalism about tabletop roleplaying games not unlike Aftermath. The site is celebrating one year of life on the increasingly tumultuous planet Earth with a subscription drive, so we ask Rowan how things are going (pretty well!) and then dig into a harrowingly powerful piece she recently wrote about roleplaying the January 6 insurrection in a Brooklyn warehouse. What can we learn from living out these moments in a controlled, game-like environment? And why don't wargames recreate modern history more often? Then we discuss Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 and its director's support of the original Gamergate movement, which everybody seems to have forgotten about. Why, though? And what does it mean for a sequel that  seems at least somewhat interested in exploring more diverse stories – despite the objections of an audience that's partially turned on it for that very reason? Finally, at listeners' request, Nathan gives everyone a special pre-release preview of a passage from his book, and he's not nervous about it at all.       Credits - Hosts: Nathan Grayson, Riley MacLeod, & special guest Rowan Zeoli - Podcast Production & Ads: Multitude - Subscribe to Aftermath! About The Show Aftermath Hours is the flagship podcast of Aftermath, a worker-owned, subscription-based website covering video games, the internet, and everything that comes after from journalists who previously worked at Kotaku, Vice, and The Washington Post. Each week, games journalism veterans Luke Plunkett, Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, Riley MacLeod, and Gita Jackson – though not always all at once, because that's too many people for a podcast – break down video game news, Remember Some Games, and learn about Chris' frankly incredible number of special interests. Sometimes we even bring on guests from both inside and outside the video game industry! I don't know what else to tell you; it's a great time. Simply by reading this description, you're already wasting time that you could be spending listening to the show. Head to aftermath.site for more info.

This week Nathan and Riley are joined by special guest Kat Bailey, former news director at IGN and current host of the Axe of the Blood God podcast, to discuss a news week that's certainly been… interesting. First we talk about the entire staff of long-running video game site God Is A Geek quitting after its now-ex-priest owner threw up a Nazi salute at a pro-life conference. Guess you can only get away with that shit if you're a billionaire. Then we dig into BioWare's recent post-Dragon Age woes, with EA reshuffling some developers into non-BioWare teams and laying off others. Is the next Mass Effect in trouble? And beyond that, does BioWare as we know it have a future? Lastly, in response to a variation on the age-old question of which Pokemon would taste best to eat, we pose another: Could Moltres die of avian flu?    Credits - Hosts: Nathan Grayson, Riley MacLeod, & special guest Kat Bailey - Podcast Production & Ads: Multitude - Subscribe to Aftermath! About The Show Aftermath Hours is the flagship podcast of Aftermath, a worker-owned, subscription-based website covering video games, the internet, and everything that comes after from journalists who previously worked at Kotaku, Vice, and The Washington Post. Each week, games journalism veterans Luke Plunkett, Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, Riley MacLeod, and Gita Jackson – though not always all at once, because that's too many people for a podcast – break down video game news, Remember Some Games, and learn about Chris' frankly incredible number of special interests. Sometimes we even bring on guests from both inside and outside the video game industry! I don't know what else to tell you; it's a great time. Simply by reading this description, you're already wasting time that you could be spending listening to the show. Head to aftermath.site for more info.

Oy oy, wots all this then?! All-Star Gita Jackson and World's Finest Alex Jaffe flay the skin from issue 31 of 52, exploring Green Lantern cop discourse, DC reinventing the industry to screw Alan Moore, and why Jimmy Olsen is black now. Chapters: Let's Talk Talent (06:26) Let's Talk About 52 #31 (10:39) The Backup (40:55) What's your favorite part of the issue? (50:35) The Blackboard (53:05) Asking The Questions at 52mailbag@gmail.com (55:38) How DC Screwed Over Alan Moore (01:01:15) Your Reviews of 52 Pickup (01:09:02) A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: 52 Geoff Johns Grant Morrison Greg Rucka Mark Waid Keith Giffen Isis Jewel Kryptonite Fahrenheit 451 Booster Gold Seven Soldiers of Victory Multiversity Final Crisis Chris Batista Justice Society of America Stephen Wacker Dan Green Tarzan Doctor Strange David Meikis Image Comics WildStorm Lobo Hourman Rodney Ramos Infinity, Inc. Wolfenstein series Resistance: Fall of Man Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Star Wars Alex Sinclair J. G. Jones Captain Comet Barry Allen Green Lantern Corps Zatanna Lois Lane Alan Moore Superman Marvel Buck Rogers John Carter Adam Strange Beefeaters Handsome Squidward Atrocitus Larfleeze Guardians of the Universe The CW Superman & Lois Friday Night Lights Natasha Irons Tyra Banks Hannibal Lex Luthor Gossip Girl Cassie Sandsmark Superboy Justice League (2017) Buffy the Vampire Slayer Doctor Fate Ralph Dibny NXIVM Smallville Garth Marenghi Dev-Em Nathan Fielder John Wilson Snapper Carr Jimmy Olsen LeBron James Westworld Far Sector Darkseid The Invisibles The Filth Lady Styx Sheeda Camelot Vic Sage Robin Renee Montoya Tim Drake Freddie E. Williams II James Tynion IV Batman Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Damian Wayne Jason Todd Dick Grayson Stephanie Brown Cassandra Cain Bryan Q Miller Barbara Gordon Leslie Thompkins Batman: The Imposter Catwoman The Batman (2022) Robert Pattinson Christian Bale Nirvana In Bloom Hole Soundgarden Chris Cornell Hole - Doll Parts Mister Terrific For All Mankind Amanda Waller Bzzd Mogo Grover Green Lantern: the Animated Series Watchmen DC Heroes Doomsday Clock Watchmen (HBO series) Central City DC Adventures Dimension 20 Taylor Swift Peter Cannon, Thunderbolt Charlton Comics Blue Beetle Captain Atom Peacemaker Nightshade Crisis on Infinite Earths Dave Gibbons From Hell Jack Kirby Tom King Rorschach Steve Ditko The Visions The Black Casebook Podcast Tim Burton Batman: the Animated Series Nickelodeon Magazine 52 Pickup is an Aftermath production, created by Gita Jackson and Alex Jaffe, and edited by Esper Quinn, with original music by Jon Ehrens. Hosting for 52 Pickup is provided by Insert Credit. If you'd like to follow along, you can check out 52 at your local comic book store or library, or the DC Universe Infinite subscription service. The views and opinions expressed on this show are solely those of the show's personalities, and do not reflect those of DC Entertainment or Warner Bros. Please rate and review our show wherever you can, and send your questions and comments to 52mailbag@gmail.com. Never stop reading comics.

This week Gita and Chris talk about the most exciting entertainment news of the day: the announcement of a new Ninja Gaiden game! Oh yeah, and the Oscars. For some reason, Emilia Perez has been nominated for a ton of awards and Chris and Gita fear that this dogshit movie may indeed sweep the Academy Awards. As they go through the nominations, they discuss the issues with the Oscars in general, how depressing Hollywood is, and why it's better to just watch the On Cinema At The Cinema Oscar Special instead. Also: Chris has opinions on what makes a good couch.   Credits - Hosts: Gita Jackson and Chris Person - Podcast Production & Ads: Multitude - Subscribe to Aftermath! About The Show Aftermath Hours is the flagship podcast of Aftermath, a worker-owned, subscription-based website covering video games, the internet, and everything that comes after from journalists who previously worked at Kotaku, Vice, and The Washington Post. Each week, games journalism veterans Luke Plunkett, Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, Riley MacLeod, and Gita Jackson – though not always all at once, because that's too many people for a podcast – break down video game news, Remember Some Games, and learn about Chris' frankly incredible number of special interests. Sometimes we even bring on guests from both inside and outside the video game industry! I don't know what else to tell you; it's a great time. Simply by reading this description, you're already wasting time that you could be spending listening to the show. Head to aftermath.site for more info.

This week Nathan, Chris, and Luke break down Nintendo's long-awaited reveal of the Switch 2 – although we use the term “reveal” loosely. After months of speculation, we now know… what it will look like. And it looks like a Nintendo Switch! Some people, Chris included, are disappointed by this. Nintendo used to swing for the fences with its hardware ideas, but now it's navigating a world of its own creation – one filled with Steam Decks and Asus Rog Allies. Can its Apple-like iteration strategy keep it at the head of the handheld pack, or is it already falling behind simply by conforming? Then we discuss the impending TikTok ban, which thanks to interventions from both outgoing president Joe Biden and incoming president Donald Trump, we don't think is actually going to happen, but which has produced the funniest possible outcome in a bunch of people migrating to a comparable Chinese app. After that, we turn Luke's brain to mush by discussing Elon Musk's gamer beef with a Twitch streamer. Finally, we wrap up by designing our own Switch 2.      Credits - Hosts: Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, and Luke Plunket - Podcast Production & Ads: Multitude - Subscribe to Aftermath! About The Show Aftermath Hours is the flagship podcast of Aftermath, a worker-owned, subscription-based website covering video games, the internet, and everything that comes after from journalists who previously worked at Kotaku, Vice, and The Washington Post. Each week, games journalism veterans Luke Plunkett, Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, Riley MacLeod, and Gita Jackson – though not always all at once, because that's too many people for a podcast – break down video game news, Remember Some Games, and learn about Chris' frankly incredible number of special interests. Sometimes we even bring on guests from both inside and outside the video game industry! I don't know what else to tell you; it's a great time. Simply by reading this description, you're already wasting time that you could be spending listening to the show. Head to aftermath.site for more info.

All-Star Comics Journalist Gita Jackson and World's Finest Comics Expert Alex Jaffe team up with the Astonishing Ash Parrish to strike again at 52 #30, including the return of DC's Most Toxic Yuri Couple, deciding the most fuckable Batman, and the true reason for the Dark Knight's cape. Chapters: Let's Talk About The Cover (12:11) Let's Talk About Grant Morrison's Take on Batman and A Little of 52 #30 (12:47) Let's Talk Talent (20:22) Let's Continue Talking About 52 #30, and Marvel Movies (20:39) The Backup (01:03:55) What's your favorite part of the issue? (01:06:30) The Blackboard (01:10:43) A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: 52 Geoff Johns Grant Morrison Greg Rucka Mark Waid Keith Giffen BATMAN: YEAR ONE Animated Film - “Ladies, gentlemen, you have eaten well.” Ash Parrish insert credit Dick Grayson Ctrl + Alt + Delete Megatokyo Questionable Content Penny Arcade MC Frontalot Batman: The Animated Series Justice League Unlimited The New 52 The Authority Top 10 Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again Free Comic Book Day Batman Stephen Wacker Identity Crisis Infinite Crisis Jason Todd Barbara Gordon Wonder Woman Superman Black Adam Vic Sage Saint Michael Vanquishing Satan J. G. Jones Killer Croc Tim Drake All-Star Superman Bob Kane Robin Joker Batman: A Death in the Family Batman: The Killing Joke Batman: Knightfall Bane Batman: No Man's Land Dennis O'Neil Batman: Under the Hood Captain Boomerang Eat Pray Love The Signature of All Things Elizabeth Gilbert Charles Darwin Brother Eye Justice League: Doom Justice League Watchtower Joe Bennett Ruy Jose Damian Wayne Carrie Kelley Frank Miller John Byrne Dark Knight III: The Master Race Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child Rafael Grampá Watchmen Alan Moore The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen From Hell Black Lives Matter Corporation When Death Came For Frank Miller Dan DiDio Holy Terror Tom King Black Adam (2022) Leviathan Talia al Ghul New X-Men Renee Montoya Gotham Central Kate Kane Kieron Gillen The Power Fantasy Kraven the Hunter (2024) Captain America: Brave New World (2025) Anthony Mackie Captain America Falcon Young Avengers Eli Bradley The Falcon and the Winter Soldier James Gunn Superman (2025) James Gunn Superman Trailer Blue Lantern Corps The Dark Knight Trilogy Black Panther (2018) Chris Evans Fantastic Four Stilt-Man Avengers Nikola Scott Gail Simone Intergang Macavity Cats (2019) Idris Elba Ten-Eyed Man Bruno Mannheim Starfire Metal Men Duncan Rouleau Will Magnus Creature Commandos The Suicide Squad (2021) Bob Haney Batman: The Brave and the Bold Music Meister Neil Patrick Harris Wacky Races Alex Ross Kingdom Come Batman: Wayne Family Adventures CRC Payne Rip Hunter Vandal Savage Darkseid Final Crisis Guy Gardner Oliver Queen Terry McGinnis Batman Beyond Inque Maxine Gibson Dana Tan Robert Pattinson Kevin Conroy Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon George Clooney Michael Keaton Batman Returns (1992) Michelle Pfeiffer Adam West Ben Affleck Christian Bale Kendall Roy Ralph Fiennes In Bruges (2008) Tom Hardy Peaky Blinders Venom (2018) 52 Pickup is an Aftermath production, created by Gita Jackson and Alex Jaffe, and edited by Esper Quinn, with original music by Jon Ehrens. If you'd like to follow along, you can check out 52 at your local comic book store or library, or the DC Universe Infinite subscription service. The views and opinions expressed on this show are solely those of the show's personalities, and do not reflect those of DC Entertainment or Warner Bros. Please rate and review our show wherever you can, and send your questions and comments to 52mailbag@gmail.com. Never stop reading comics.

This week Nathan and Gita are joined by Chris Bratt of People Make Games – one of the best investigative outlets in all of video games – to discuss his new video about workplace abuse at outsourcing studios in southeast Asia. We try to get to the bottom of why big video game companies turn a blind eye to these sorts of incidents, which in this case include a manager convincing a subordinate to slap herself in the face 100 times as an act of penance. Yeah, it's bad! Then we talk about how the wildfires currently raging in California – which are displacing video game studios, among many, many other things – are happening right next door to CES in Las Vegas, where tech titans are trumpeting the latest environmentally destructive fad, generative AI. After that, we move on to slightly more lighthearted fare in our predictions for the year in gaming. Only one of us predicts a major industry-related crash, so that's gotta count for something. Also, Half-Life 3 is getting announced this year. Mark my words.      Credits - Hosts: Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, and Riley MacLeod - Podcast Production & Ads: Multitude - Subscribe to Aftermath! About The Show Aftermath Hours is the flagship podcast of Aftermath, a worker-owned, subscription-based website covering video games, the internet, and everything that comes after from journalists who previously worked at Kotaku, Vice, and The Washington Post. Each week, games journalism veterans Luke Plunkett, Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, Riley MacLeod, and Gita Jackson – though not always all at once, because that's too many people for a podcast – break down video game news, Remember Some Games, and learn about Chris' frankly incredible number of special interests. Sometimes we even bring on guests from both inside and outside the video game industry! I don't know what else to tell you; it's a great time. Simply by reading this description, you're already wasting time that you could be spending listening to the show. Head to aftermath.site for more info.

Dick Death Determined via Dan DiDio! The Dynamic Duo of Podcasting Gita and Alex feast on issue 29, cooking up opinions on Grant Morrison's writing of women, the importance of Thanksgiving tables in DC history, and some unsubtle jabs at the idea of IP rights by the authors of 52. Chapters: Let's Talk Talent (08:45) Let's Talk About 52 #29 (11:48) What's your favorite part of the issue? (32:53) The Blackboard (36:50) Asking The Questions at 52mailbag@gmail.com (45:49) A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: 52 Geoff Johns Grant Morrison Greg Rucka Mark Waid Keith Giffen Countdown to Final Crisis Stephen Wacker Final Crisis Paul Dini Batman: the Animated Series Multiversity Shonen Jump Lex Luthor Komi Can't Communicate Jamie McKelvie One For Sorrow Alan Moore Stargirl JSA The X-Files Barenaked Ladies - One Week Chris Batista Jack Jadson Reign of the Supermen Egg Fu Alan Scott Jay Garrick Wildcat No Country for Old Men (2007) Jade Rann-Thanagar War Infinite Crisis Monkey D. Luffy Goku Infinity Inc. Nuklon Spider-Man Obsidian Batman Batman: Wayne Family Adventures Doctor Sivana T. O. Morrow Black Adam Will Magnus Veronica Cale Jenna Maroney Jezebel Jet Emma Frost New X-Men Megan Thee Stallion Talia al Ghul James Gunn League of Shadows Dennis O'Neal Batman: Birth of the Demon Intergang Jack Kirby Monty Python's The Life of Brian (1979) John Henry Irons Beast Boy Nightwing Dan DiDio Tom Taylor Superman Robin The Batman (2022) Batman Begins (2005) Tim Burton Michelle Pfeiffer Catwoman Zoë Kravitz The Penguin Burgess Meredith Batman (60's tv show) Adam West Elliot Kalan Harley Quinn Forbidden Planet Todd MacFarlane Platinum Collection The Question Starman Zatara Superman & Lois Greg Berlanti Arrow Smallville Crisis on Infinite Earths The CW Gossip Girl The Vampire Diaries Interview with the Vampire Criterion Channel Tyler Hoechlin Hellboy Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense Chase Sugar & Spike Green Lantern Mike Mignola Hellblazer John Constantine Garth Ennis L.A. Noire Superman Returns Batman: The Telltale Series 52 Pickup is an Aftermath production, created by Gita Jackson and Alex Jaffe, and edited by Esper Quinn, with original music by Jon Ehrens. If you'd like to follow along, you can check out 52 at your local comic book store or library, or the DC Universe Infinite subscription service. The views and opinions expressed on this show are solely those of the show's personalities, and do not reflect those of DC Entertainment or Warner Bros. Please rate and review our show wherever you can, and send your questions and comments to 52mailbag@gmail.com. Never stop reading comics.

This week Nathan, Chris, and Riley convene just before the holidays for the final show of the year. We discuss a little of everything: Our favorite Game Awards reveals (Onimusha, an orb game exemplar, is back, and so is Okami!) as well as some that have us less thrilled (more Neil Druckmann nihilism in Intergalactic: The Heretic, Borderlands 4's continuation of the series' quiet identity crisis). Then we talk about SAG-AFTRA voice actors demonstrating outside the show and the potential impacts of a Trump presidency on their future prospects. After that, we briefly touch on cameras in games, which absolutely nobody has Opinions about, and then Chris fills us in on the love of his life: Slitterhead. Lastly, we hand out our own awards for the best and worst games media moments of the year. Oh, and we discuss Riley's holiday gaming dilemmas, all of which would be solved if he just bought a Steam Deck.    Credits - Hosts: Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, and Riley MacLeod - Podcast Production & Ads: Multitude - Subscribe to Aftermath! About The Show Aftermath Hours is the flagship podcast of Aftermath, a worker-owned, subscription-based website covering video games, the internet, and everything that comes after from journalists who previously worked at Kotaku, Vice, and The Washington Post. Each week, games journalism veterans Luke Plunkett, Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, Riley MacLeod, and Gita Jackson – though not always all at once, because that's too many people for a podcast – break down video game news, Remember Some Games, and learn about Chris' frankly incredible number of special interests. Sometimes we even bring on guests from both inside and outside the video game industry! I don't know what else to tell you; it's a great time. Simply by reading this description, you're already wasting time that you could be spending listening to the show. Head to aftermath.site for more info.

A crocodile ate my parents! All-Star Comics Journalist Gita Jackson and World's Finest Comics Expert Alex Jaffe team up with Emerald Artist Ted Brandt of Connor Hawke's DC Pride story, tackling Australia's place in DC, why Etrigan can't rap, and Jason Todd's tragic origins. Chapters: Let's Talk Supernatural, Connor Hawke, and Rereading 52 (05:09) Let's Talk Talent (23:12) Let's Talk About 52 #28 (23:42) The Backup (46:18) What's your favorite part of the issue? (51:21) The Blackboard (53:11) Asking The Questions at 52mailbag@gmail.com (01:01:49) A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: 52 Geoff Johns Grant Morrison Greg Rucka Mark Waid Keith Giffen The Question: All Along the Watchtower Alex Segura Crowded DC Pride Connor Hawke Ted Brandt Harley Quinn Pokémon Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket Mewtwo Vampire Survivors DC Heroes United Bluesky Phantom Zone Marvel Batman Superman Blitzkrieg Robert Kanigher James Gunn John Ostrander The Suicide Squad (2021) T.O. Morrow Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Robert E. O. Speedwagon Green Arrow Andrea Shea Chuck Dixon Jadzia Axelrod Galaxy: The Prettiest Star Ghost-Maker Supernatural The West Wing The Vampire Diaries Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip Buffy the Vampire Slayer Joss Whedon The Boys Garth Ennis Red Tornado Will Magnus Tyler, the Creator Common Chip Zdarsky Etrigan Batman: Damned MF Doom Drew Johnson David Baron Stephen Wacker Vic Sage Renee Montoya Batwoman Poison Ivy Batman: Wayne Family Adventures Mad Max PlayStation 2 Storm Kurt Busiek Brad Meltzer Vision Young Justice Jujutsu Kaisen Tom Taylor Intergang Lobo Emerald Head of Ekron Devilance Legion of Super-Heroes New Gods Cosmos Blackest Night Annihilation Jaime Reyes Blue Beetle (2023) Green Lantern Corps Tatsuki Fujimoto Chainsaw Man Stuart Immonen Kathryn Immonen Moving Pictures The Final Night Hal Jordan Nextwave Adam Strange Animal Man Bruno Mannheim J. H. Williams III Killer Croc Jason Todd Egg Fu Alan Scott Catman Gail Simone Dale Eaglesham Secret Six Villains United Infinite Crisis Kraven the Hunter (2024) Birds of Prey Rag Doll Huntress The Punisher The Guild Felicia Day Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog Crime Bible: Five Books of Blood Vandal Savage Australia Invasion! Superman II (1980) Rob Williams Suicide Squad David Ayer Captain Boomerang Rip Hunter Hitman Tommy Monaghan Catwoman DC One Million Joker Stitch Xanthe Zhou Julien Jourdain Taylor Barzelay Bobby Drake Cassandra Cain Stephanie Brown Tim Drake Kelly Thompson King Shark Dennis O'Neil Lois Lane Guy Gardner Bill Burr Batman: the Animated Series This American Life Wonder Woman Tom King Power Rangers Infinity #1 Sam Humphries Titans: Beast World 52 Pickup is an Aftermath production, created by Gita Jackson and Alex Jaffe, and edited by Esper Quinn, with original music by Jon Ehrens. If you'd like to follow along, you can check out 52 at your local comic book store or library, or the DC Universe Infinite subscription service. The views and opinions expressed on this show are solely those of the show's personalities, and do not reflect those of DC Entertainment or Warner Bros. Please rate and review our show wherever you can, and send your questions and comments to 52mailbag@gmail.com. Never stop reading comics.

It's that time of year again, the time when we take a break from punishing our beloved characters and let them enjoy a nice, low-stakes holiday adventure. What do we have in store for the Dark Legion this time? Will they face another mythical Christmas creature? Will we riff on another time-honored holiday classic? You'll never guess. Special thanks to our voice cast: Kendra Wells, Ella Dawson, Patrick Gill, Gita Jackson, Jo Kroger, Rachel Millman, Branson Reese, Steph Salo, and Joe Stando. This episode is brought to you by the new EP from Dalton's insane side-project, The B-69s, and their new EP brat but it's in the style of the B-52s so it's not, available for free on BandCamp and wherever you stream music! TIMESTAMPS 00:00:00 - Start 00:07:18 - Fan Expectations 00:18:23 - Another Dark Universe Holiday Special 01:14:45 - Discussion 01:43:52 - Fireside 01:47:16 - This Christmas Is Yours

This week it's just Chris and Riley as Nathan has flown off to LA for The Game Awards. We discuss the continued state of the Ziff Davis empire, the United Healthcare shooting suspect's gaming history and what that says about him (mainly nothing) and the mostly positive but sometimes polarizing reaction to Indiana Jones and The Great Circle. We also briefly talk about other news, answer reader questions, and more!   Credits - Hosts: Riley MacLeod, Chris Person - Podcast Production & Ads: Multitude - Subscribe to Aftermath! About The Show Aftermath Hours is the flagship podcast of Aftermath, a worker-owned, subscription-based website covering video games, the internet, and everything that comes after from journalists who previously worked at Kotaku, Vice, and The Washington Post. Each week, games journalism veterans Luke Plunkett, Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, Riley MacLeod, and Gita Jackson – though not always all at once, because that's too many people for a podcast – break down video game news, Remember Some Games, and learn about Chris' frankly incredible number of special interests. Sometimes we even bring on guests from both inside and outside the video game industry! I don't know what else to tell you; it's a great time. Simply by reading this description, you're already wasting time that you could be spending listening to the show. Head to aftermath.site for more info.

This week, Nathan, Chris, and Luke are joined by Frank Cifaldi of the Video Game History Foundation, but not until near the end of the episode, because Frank had multiple other podcasts to be on that day (he's very important). We discuss the unique needs of a video game archive – for example, remote access to games, something the US Copyright Office recently refused to grant after a three-year effort on the part of the Video Game History Foundation and the Software Preservation Network – and what the Foundation has been able to accomplish this year despite a government and industry that often fail to recognize the importance of its work. Also on this episode: The gang (minus Frank) talks about Ubisoft's decision to pull the plug on XDefiant, OpenAI's increasingly money-hungry forays into subscriptions (and maybe ads), and our various hyperfixations in Candy Cabs and Star Wars Outlaws. Oh, and speaking of hyperfixations, Chris says that New Year's resolutions are just an amateur hour version of a real project, so take that, me and everybody else.    Credits - Hosts: Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, Luke Plunkett, & special guest Frank Cifaldi - Podcast Production & Ads: Multitude - Subscribe to Aftermath!   About The Show Aftermath Hours is the flagship podcast of Aftermath, a worker-owned, subscription-based website covering video games, the internet, and everything that comes after from journalists who previously worked at Kotaku, Vice, and The Washington Post. Each week, games journalism veterans Luke Plunkett, Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, Riley MacLeod, and Gita Jackson – though not always all at once, because that's too many people for a podcast – break down video game news, Remember Some Games, and learn about Chris' frankly incredible number of special interests. Sometimes we even bring on guests from both inside and outside the video game industry! I don't know what else to tell you; it's a great time. Simply by reading this description, you're already wasting time that you could be spending listening to the show. Head to aftermath.site for more info.

Merry Crispmus! All-Star Comics Journalist Gita Jackson and World's Finest Comics Expert Alex Jaffe find acceptance of the self in #27 of 52, as well as vengeance for Identity Crisis, good reasons to quit smoking, and why Dan DiDio may actually be Lex Luthor. Chapters: Let's Talk Talent, Industry Machinations, and Poaching Steve Wacker (02:58) Let's Talk About 52 #27 (14:16) The Backup (41:50) What's your favorite part of the issue? (47:53) The Blackboard (52:46) Asking The Questions at 52mailbag@gmail.com (57:05) A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: 52 Geoff Johns Grant Morrison Greg Rucka Mark Waid Keith Giffen Absolute Wonder Woman Rashomon (1950) Stephen Wacker Marvel Comics Slugfest by Reed Tucker Alan Moore Dan DiDio Lex Luthor Dick Grayson Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters Shawn Moll Booster Gold Frank Grimes Ruy Jose Nelson DeCastro Mariah Benes Rodney Ramos Prentis Rollins Michael Siglain Gokurakugai Shonen Jump Joker: One Operation Joker James Tynion IV Ralph Dibny Identity Crisis The Spectre Gotham Central James Corrigan Crispus Allen Day of Vengeance Infinite Crisis Doctor Fate Green Arrow Kevin Smith Hal Jordan Jerry Siegel Joe Shuster Superman Hashem Book of Job Sue Dibny Atom Jean Loring Eclipso Oracle Batman: The Killing Joke John Ostrander Jason Todd Robin Batman Waverider Heroes Skeets Renee Montoya Richard Dragon Aristotle Rodor Intergang Vic Sage Kurt Busiek JLA/Avengers Kate Kane Pete Pantazis Final Crisis Black Mirror Red Tornado Black Canary Howard Chaykin American Flagg! Babs Tarr Greg Land Birds of Prey (1998 series) Ultimate Fantastic Four Tyra Banks Tom King Wonder Woman Lois Lane John Byrne Birds of Prey (2023 series) Big Barda Mister Miracle Deathstroke Joker Greg Cox Black Adam Will Magnus One Piece Watchmen V for Vendetta From Hell Frank Miller Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Batman: Year One Cormac McCarthy Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child Rafael Grampá Dennis O'Neil David Mazzucchelli Asterios Polyp Seven Soldiers of Victory New X-Men Neil Gaiman insert credit Aftermath.site 404 Media Defector Hearing Things Armageddon 2001 52 Pickup is an Aftermath production, created by Gita Jackson and Alex Jaffe, and edited by Esper Quinn, with original music by Jon Ehrens. If you'd like to follow along, you can check out 52 at your local comic book store or library, or the DC Universe Infinite subscription service. The views and opinions expressed on this show are solely those of the show's personalities, and do not reflect those of DC Entertainment or Warner Bros. Please rate and review our show wherever you can, and send your questions and comments to 52mailbag@gmail.com. Never stop reading comics.

This week, Nathan and Gita are joined by Ryan Broderick of the fantastic Garbage Day newsletter to discuss all the latest trends in the world of Online. We begin by talking about Bluesky and the potentially fatal blow Twitter has sustained at its hands. Or, well, more accurately, at Elon Musk's hands, but Bluesky has far and away been the main beneficiary of Trump's wannabe baby boy's bumblings. Can the good times last, though? Or will Bluesky eventually become a massive crock of shit, just like every other social media platform? After that, we dig into the myth of The Liberal Joe Rogan and how actual left-leaning and leftist political influencers are adapting in the wake of an election that decidedly did not go their way. Lastly, we speculate about which specific Fortnite skins a fraudster recently purchased with Nathan's credit card. Credits - Hosts: Nathan Grayson, Gita Jackson, and special guest Ryan Broderick - Podcast Production & Ads: Multitude - Subscribe to Aftermath!   About The Show Aftermath Hours is the flagship podcast of Aftermath, a worker-owned, subscription-based website covering video games, the internet, and everything that comes after from journalists who previously worked at Kotaku, Vice, and The Washington Post. Each week, games journalism veterans Luke Plunkett, Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, Riley MacLeod, and Gita Jackson – though not always all at once, because that's too many people for a podcast – break down video game news, Remember Some Games, and learn about Chris' frankly incredible number of special interests. Sometimes we even bring on guests from both inside and outside the video game industry! I don't know what else to tell you; it's a great time. Simply by reading this description, you're already wasting time that you could be spending listening to the show. Head to aftermath.site for more info.  

Blessed Be the Hoochmaker! All-Star Comics Journalist Gita Jackson and World's Finest Comics Expert Alex Jaffe have reached the halfway point of 52, and take a moment to recap every major storyline in the series so far, as well as inventing new games to test each other based on both obscure trivia and romantic shipping possibilities. If you'd like to start listening, this is a great place to jump in! SHOW NOTES: 52 Geoff Johns Grant Morrison Greg Rucka Mark Waid Keith Giffen Bon Jovi - Livin' On A Prayer Saturday Night (2024) Jason Reitman Juno (2005) Diablo Cody Young Adult (2011) Zack Snyder Sucker Punch (2011) Kendall Roy “Weird Al” Yankovic Dragon Ball Z Goku Vegeta 1. Let's Talk About What Led Up to 52 (06:31) Sue Dibny Identity Crisis Batman Justice League Brother Eye Maxwell Lord Justice League International Superman Blue Beetle Wonder Woman Infinite Crisis Crisis on Infinite Earths Robin Themyscira Justice League Unlimited Bruce Timm Paul Dini Lost Star Trek: Deep Space Nine The Sopranos The Shield 24 Doctor DC Podcast 2. What's going on with Ralph Dibny? (16:30) Ralph Dibny Cassie Sandsmark Young Justice Teen Titans Superboy Lex Luthor Smallville Green Arrow Black Canary Dev-Em Booster Gold Starman Detective Chimp Doctor Fate Eclipso Spectre Day of Vengeance Jean Loring Tatsuki Fujimoto Denji Chainsaw Man Tom Taylor Injustice: Gods Among Us Nightwing Bocchi the Rock! Batman: Wayne Family Adventures Damian Wayne Tim Drake Naruto: Shippuden Jason Todd Dick Grayson Joker 3. What's going on with the space heroes? (24:21) Animal Man Starfire Adam Strange Devilance Lobo New Teen Titans Terra Green Lantern Corps New Gods Omega Men 4. What's going on with Black Adam? (27:44) The Rock Black Adam Captain Marvel Kahndaq Terra-Man Great Ten Doctor Manhattan Intergang Zachary Levi Shazam! (2019) Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023) Harold and the Purple Crayon (2024) Chris Pratt Mel Gibson Isis Victor Sage Renee Montoya Osiris Doctor Sivana 5. What's going on with all those disappearing mad scientists? (36:25) Will Magnus Metal Men Dan DiDio T. O. Morrow Oolong Island Egg Fu ReBoot Beast Wars: Transformers 6. What's going on with Steel? (43:46) Steel (John Henry Irons) Natasha Irons Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? Superman: The Death and Return of Superman Infinity, Inc. Jack Ryder 7. What's going on with Booster Gold? (49:44) Booster Gold Blue Beetle Fire Rip Hunter Booster Gold (1986 series) 8. What's going on with Vic and Renee? (59:07) Victor Sage Renee Montoya Gotham Central Bugsy Malone (1976) The Penguin Cristin Milioti Batwoman Richard Dragon Aristotle Rodor Taylor Swift Avril Lavigne replacement conspiracy theory 9. Let's Play: You Know The Guy (01:07:52) Steve Ditko The Suicide Squad (2021) 10. Let's Play: Crackship Combat (01:10:08) Nightwing Jiro Osamu Gravitation Wonder Woman Green Arrow Batman Big Barda Mister Miracle Wally West Captain Carrot Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) Multiversus: Collision Detected Bugs Bunny Starfire Donna Troy Martian Manhunter Firestorm Rogue Gambit Barbara Gordon Chapo Trap House 11. Asking (and Congratulating!) The Questions at 52mailbag@gmail.com (17:51) Seven Soldiers of Victory Shade, the Changing Man Shade, the Changing Girl Cave Carson Has a Cybernetic Eye Jonah Hex Beyoncé One Piece Andy Cohen Glorious Godfrey The Multiversity Brian Michael Bendis Ragman Heroes in Crisis 30 Rock Queen of Jordan Girls5eva Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Legion of Super-Heroes Tom King Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021) Superman (1978) 52 Pickup is an Aftermath production, created by Gita Jackson and Alex Jaffe, and edited by Esper Quinn, with original music by Jon Ehrens. If you'd like to follow along, you can check out 52 at your local comic book store or library, or the DC Universe Infinite subscription service. The views and opinions expressed on this show are solely those of the show's personalities, and do not reflect those of DC Entertainment or Warner Bros. Please rate and review our show wherever you can, and send your questions and comments to 52mailbag@gmail.com. Never stop reading comics.

This week, Nathan, Luke, and Chris are, despite the state of the world, in a celebratory mood, because Aftermath just turned one! When we launched this site a year ago, we had no idea how it'd go – we thought it'd either crash and burn or succeed beyond our wildest dreams, neither of which have happened – but we're exceedingly pleased with where we've ended up. We discuss lessons we've learned and our favorite moments from the past year, as well as some news – specifically, our own feature about how freelancers are propping up games journalism (and getting paid dogshit for it) and Zenimax workers' recent strike against Microsoft's restrictive return-to-office policies. Finally, to sate noted beacon of positivity Luke Plunkett, we talk about some games we've been playing recently and, for the most part, enjoying.   Credits - Hosts: Nathan Grayson, Luke Plunkett, and Chris Person - Subscribe to Aftermath!   About The Show Aftermath Hours is the flagship podcast of Aftermath, a worker-owned, subscription-based website covering video games, the internet, and everything that comes after from journalists who previously worked at Kotaku, Vice, and The Washington Post. Each week, games journalism veterans Luke Plunkett, Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, Riley MacLeod, and Gita Jackson – though not always all at once, because that's too many people for a podcast – break down video game news, Remember Some Games, and learn about Chris' frankly incredible number of special interests. Sometimes we even bring on guests from both inside and outside the video game industry! I don't know what else to tell you; it's a great time. Simply by reading this description, you're already wasting time that you could be spending listening to the show. Head to aftermath.site for more info.

This week, Nathan and Riley are joined by special guest Mel Buer of The Real News Network, a very good nonprofit newsroom, to discuss what we, as normal people, can do in the wake of Trump's reelection and the rise of fascism in the United States. The short version? Organize! Not just your workplace, but also your local community. Meet your neighbors. Start a community garden. Put together a game night. The government isn't going to save us, so we've got to. We also touch on the recent New York Times Tech Guild strike and the callous cynicism that led bosses to refuse reasonable demands even with a massively consequential election bearing down on their news organization. Oh, and we talk about eating our feelings, which all of us coincidentally did recently, for some reason.   Credits - Hosts: Nathan Grayson, Riley MacLeod, and special guest Mel Buer - Subscribe to Aftermath!   About The Show Aftermath Hours is the flagship podcast of Aftermath, a worker-owned, subscription-based website covering video games, the internet, and everything that comes after from journalists who previously worked at Kotaku, Vice, and The Washington Post. Each week, games journalism veterans Luke Plunkett, Nathan Grayson, Chris Person, Riley MacLeod, and Gita Jackson – though not always all at once, because that's too many people for a podcast – break down video game news, Remember Some Games, and learn about Chris' frankly incredible number of special interests. Sometimes we even bring on guests from both inside and outside the video game industry! I don't know what else to tell you; it's a great time. Simply by reading this description, you're already wasting time that you could be spending listening to the show. Head to aftermath.site for more info.

It's a two-turkey dinner! All-Star Comics Journalist Gita Jackson and World's Finest Comics Expert Alex Jaffe reach the halfway point of 52, where they encounter Crockamurderer, draft an all-new teen superhero team, and reveal whether or not drug-sniffing dogs react to vacuum-sealed smoked turkey legs. Chapters: Is it pronounced Raahs al Ghul, or Raysh al Ghul? (01:18) Let's Talk About The Cover, and hear some commentary from the creators of 52! (08:38) Let's Talk Talent (18:50) Let's Talk About 52 #26 (25:25) The Backup (53:57) What's your favorite part of the issue? (57:14) The Blackboard (58:54) Asking The Questions at 52mailbag@gmail.com (01:05:13) A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: 52 Geoff Johns Grant Morrison Greg Rucka Mark Waid Keith Giffen Ra's al Ghul Batman Begins (2005) Batman: The Animated Series Arrow Lazarus Pit Neal Adams Dennis O'Neil Batman Iron Man 3 (2013) Fu Manchu Mandarin Batman: Birth of the Demon Norm Breyfogle Vine Lana Lang Interview with the Vampire Lestat de Lioncourt Jack Ryder Martian Manhunter Black Adam Tom King Strange Adventures (2019 series) Jenny Sparks Pat Olliffe Drew Geraci Skeets Pete Pantazis Image Comics WildStorm Final Crisis Darkseid DC One Million Beautia Sivana From Lost Harold Perrineau Victor Sage Renee Montoya Isis Congorilla Starman Detective Chimp Deadman Superman Richard Dragon Aristotle Rodor Richard Dragon, Kung Fu Fighter David Carradine Bronze Tiger Lady Shiva Liam Neeson Huntress Batman/Huntress: Cry For Blood Bill O'Reilly Jon Stewart Steve Ditko Spider-Man Livewire Lex Luthor Wonder Woman John Henry Irons Natasha Irons Doctor Sivana Fawcett Comics Venus Sivana Thaddeus Sivana, Jr. Georgia Sivana Revenge of the Nerds (1984) Dragon Ball Super: Broly (2018) Frieza Tony Tulathimutte Rejection Vincent Valentine Final Fantasy VII Auron Final Fantasy X Waverider Kris Kardashian Osiris Oolong Island T. O. Morrow Veronica Cale Marisa Tomei Killer Croc Tawky Tawny Captain Marvel Hawkman Hawkgirl Hawkgirl (2023 series) Joe Bennett Jimmy Palmiotti Hawkman (2002 series) Thanagar Doom Patrol (2009 series) Hawkman (2018 series) Robert Venditti John Ostrander Daily Planet Lois Lane Young Justice Impulse Connor Hawke Green Arrow Chuck Dixon Music Meister Secret Blue Beetle Shining Knight Knights of the Round Table Jessica Cruz Robin Green Lantern The Reach The Lord of the Rings Excalibur X-Men Knights of the Round 52 Pickup is an Aftermath production, created by Gita Jackson and Alex Jaffe, and edited by Esper Quinn, with original music by Jon Ehrens. If you'd like to follow along, you can check out 52 at your local comic book store or library, or the DC Universe Infinite subscription service. The views and opinions expressed on this show are solely those of the show's personalities, and do not reflect those of DC Entertainment or Warner Bros. Please rate and review our show wherever you can, and send your questions and comments to 52mailbag@gmail.com. Never stop reading comics.

Happy Halloween, Judeo-Christians! All-Star Journalist Gita Jackson and World's Finest Comics Expert Alex Jaffe team up with the Booty of Bludhaven Josh Rivera to descend into issue 25, revealing which wrestling PPV is the good one, which DC characters love musicals, and the origins of Nightwing's hot butt. Chapters: Let's Talk About the Cover and Talent (08:34) Let's Talk About 52 #25 (15:15) The Backup (48:21) What's your favorite part of the issue? (56:19) The Blackboard (01:01:24) Asking The Questions at 52mailbag@gmail.com (17:51) A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: 52 Geoff Johns Grant Morrison Greg Rucka Mark Waid Keith Giffen Krakoan Age Jonathan Hickman Legion of Super-Heroes East of West Dandadan Interview with the Vampire Succession Absolute Batman Scott Snyder Batman Nick Dragotta Steel Question Booster Gold Superman Wonder Woman Doctor Fate J. G. Jones The Invisibles John Lennon Joe Bennett Dale Eaglesham Phil Jimenez Pat Olliffe Ruy José Andy Lanning Art Thibert Drew Geraci Heroes Kurt Busiek James Gunn Frankenstein Green Lantern Bruno Mannheim Lex Luthor Crime Bible Jack Kirby Mister Miracle Big Barda Superman & Lois Intergang Darkseid Whisper A'Daire Vic Sage Renee Montoya Black Adam Kite Man Miriam Delgado Magpie Sewer King Crime Doctor Paul Dini The Broker Dwayne McDuffie Kakegurui Sabbac Captain Marvel Jr. Sabacc Mary Marvel Captain Marvel Buffy the Vampire Slayer Isis Osiris Kingdom Come Neon Genesis Evangelion Gundam Gunbuster Power Rangers Watchmen Spider-Man Skeets Seder Anything Chrismukkah WrestleMania Royal Rumble Ralph Dibny Felix Faust House of Mystery Len Wein Etrigan the Demon Klarion the Witch Boy Choronzon Tala Phantom Stranger Gorilla Grodd Justice League Unlimited Alex Sinclair Infinity, Inc. Icicle Jr. Tigress Young Justice America's Next Top Model Green Arrow Alan Scott Mister Terrific Checkmate (2006 series) Gotham Central Oolong Island Will Magnus Kanye West Egg Fu Harley Quinn: the Animated Series Bowen Yang Nightwing George Pérez Tom Taylor Gail Simone Nicola Scott Secret Six (2006 series) Tim Seeley Monitor Jason Todd Trickster I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry (2007) Spawn Plastic Man Tim Sheridan Alan Scott: The Green Lantern (2023 series) Dr. Anonymous Bridgerton Batman: Caped Crusader Bipolar disorder Flex Mentallo Joe the Barbarian Kite Man: Hell Yeah! Stephen Wacker Tom King Batman: The War of Jokes and Riddles Hideo Kojima The Suicide Squad (2021) Condiment King Polka-Dot Man Poison Ivy David Dastmalchian Batman Writer Tom King's CIA Career Questioned Alan Moore Rorschach Watchmen (TV series) Watchmen (2009) Damon Lindelof Cloverfield (2008) Zack Snyder Sucker Punch (2011) 52 Pickup is an Aftermath production, created by Gita Jackson and Alex Jaffe, and edited by Esper Quinn, with original music by Jon Ehrens. If you'd like to follow along, you can check out 52 at your local comic book store or library, or the DC Universe Infinite subscription service. The views and opinions expressed on this show are solely those of the show's personalities, and do not reflect those of DC Entertainment or Warner Bros. Please rate and review our show wherever you can, and send your questions and comments to 52mailbag@gmail.com. Never stop reading comics.

Send a plot and three pages of dialogue right away! Gita Jackson and Alex Jaffe team up with Eisner-nominated writer and podcaster Jordan Morris for issue 24, featuring the debut of E. S. Pete, the death of a character introduced last issue, and how Booster Gold caused Reaganomics. Chapters: Let's Talk Talent and the Cover (07:00) Let's Talk About 52 #24 (17:39) The Backup (49:50) What's your favorite part of the issue? (53:53) The Blackboard (58:01) Asking The Questions at 52mailbag@gmail.com (01:03:48) A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: 52 Geoff Johns Grant Morrison Greg Rucka Mark Waid Keith Giffen Superman Batman Wonder Woman Ted Kord Booster Gold Martian Manhunter Firestorm Charli xcx - 360 Henry Mancini - Baby Elephant Walk Jordan, Jesse, Go! Katy Perry Skeets Phil Jimenez George Pérez Andy Lanning Infinite Crisis Civil War Justice League International Countdown to Final Crisis Ralph Dibny Sue Dibny J. M. DeMatteis Super-Chief Bulleteer Seven Soldiers of Victory Ambush Bug Deadpool Forbush Man Stan Lee Bulletgirl Captain Marvel Firehawk Wolverine Jeff Lemire E.S. Pete Green Arrow Great Ten Gene Luen Yang Elliot S. Maggin Just Imagine… Red Tornado Rocket Red Silver Sorceress Tomorrow Woman Flash (Barry Allen) Crisis on Infinite Earths Hippolyta Aztek Ice General Glory Vibe Citizen Steel Amazing-Man Starman Yazz Crimson Fox Shade, the Changing Man Peter Milligan John Ostrander Martian Manhunter (1998 series) Captain America Arrow Ra's al Ghul Alexander Siddig Lazarus Pit Black Adam Isis Dwayne Johnson Osiris Frankenstein Lex Luthor Everyman Project Legion of Substitute Heroes Matter-Eater Lad X-Men Glob Herman Shark-Girl Shade, the Changing Girl Checkmate Amanda Waller Atom Smasher Suicide Squad Victor Sage Batwoman Dan Jurgens Days of Future Past Chris Claremont Justice League by Keith Giffen Babs Tarr Stripperella Leah Williams Power Girl Gotham City Sirens Punchline Empowered Legion of Super-Heroes Brian Michael Bendis JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Brainiac 5 Ronald Reagan Guy Gardner Matt Fraction Jimmy Olsen (2019 series) Tim Drake Saturn Girl Nura Nal Shadow Lass Gwen Stacy Jason Todd Lady Shiva Dennis O'Neil Youth Group Bowen McCurdy Specter Inspectors Buffy the Vampire Slayer Shaun of the Dead Dragon Ball Z Free With Ads The Godfather (1972) Cool World (1992) Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk (2016) Good Mythical Morning 52 Pickup is an Aftermath production, created by Gita Jackson and Alex Jaffe, and edited by Esper Quinn, with original music by Jon Ehrens. If you'd like to follow along, you can check out 52 at your local comic book store or library, or the DC Universe Infinite subscription service. The views and opinions expressed on this show are solely those of the show's personalities, and do not reflect those of DC Entertainment or Warner Bros. Please rate and review our show wherever you can, and send your questions and comments to 52mailbag@gmail.com. Never stop reading comics.